


The Natural Order

by 425599167



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Brosami, Canon Compliant, F/F, Gen, Lavabending Korra, Lightningbending Korra, Post-Finale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-04-24 00:29:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 56,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4898530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/425599167/pseuds/425599167
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Kuvira's defeat, Korra and her allies must contend with warship-stealing rebels, a relentless metalbender, and a conspiracy within the Fire Nation as the world struggles to stabilize.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. They're Back

Walking home from the police station, alone, to his _apartment,_ not some suite, Mako was happier than he’d been in a while. Even with his arm still broken.

He took a detour to the bay, trying to avoid the cleanup crews working round the clock to remove the remains of the Colossus and the hundreds of mech suits littering the streets. Bolin wouldn’t notice if he wasn’t home on time, knowing how often he worked late. Even if he'd been away from the job for a while. He looked out at the new spirit portal across the water. Even from his distance, the light was intense enough to dimly illuminate the docks.

Including the dark-suited trespasser crawling down the hull of a Fire Nation freighter docked a hundred feet away, scaling the sides of the ship without any obviously footholds or climbing equipment.

Damn. A guy can’t even walk home without getting involved in, well, he didn’t know what crime this was yet, probably some kind of theft.

There was a phone booth just down the street. He’d seen them, but they hadn’t seen him, and if he could contact Beifong maybe officers could intercept this person before-

The booth was ripped out of the ground and plunged into the water before he even got within ten feet of it. He turned back towards the freighter, and the trespasser was right in front of him, staring.

_So much for staying out of the fighting and saving myself another broken arm. Or not getting the first arm broken even worse._

He composed himself, tried to look as intimidating as possible considering he had a bandaged hand is a sling, and bent a flame to get a better look at the guy, see what he could learn. It wasn’t much. They were covered in black fabric and dull metal plating, no exposed flesh. And with the way they’d been sticking to the ship, they were definitely a metalbender. Slim, a little on the short side, but nothing else noteworthy. He couldn’t make out any facial features through the thin, angled slits in that visor.

_Okay, confronting an unidentified metalbender alone and with a broken arm, what do I do?_

“I’m detective Mako of the RCPD. You’re under arrest for trespassing and assaulting an officer.” He knew how flimsy the threat sounded, but couldn’t think what else to say.

No sound, no motion. He may as well have been threatening a statue.

 _I haven’t gone up against anyone this quiet since the Chi-Blockers. Scratch that, Chi-Blockers_ moved _._

He looked around; they were near the intersection of Fifth and Yue, sometime around 8:20. There would be a patrol coming in a few minutes, if he could just stall them for that long, he could get some backup.

”I saw you come out of the freighter, what did you-”

The perp turned away from him and started walking away from the dock like nothing had happened.

Mako was confused for a moment, then followed them into an alley.

“HEY! I’m talking to you!”

Still no reaction, their mechanically repetitive movements continuing without a break. He breathed, and started building up energy.

_This is a terrible idea._

They earthbent open an access point to one of Republic City’s old tunnels. If he didn’t stop them now, they’d get away.

_Oh well, I’ve done dumber things in the last few weeks._

He started chucking fireballs, trying to slow them down and draw attention from anyone who might be nearby, struggling to stay balanced doing it with one hand. _That_ finally got their interest, silently turning to face him. His attacker dodged most of the shots, and the one that landed didn’t seem to do anything against that armor. He switched tactics, directing a sustained blast of flame at his opponent, trying to engulf them.

But they charged through, hand outstretched into the brunt of the blast, deflecting and scattering the flames. They grasped onto his wrist with a now burning hot steel glove, and took his neck with their other hand. Mako struggled to break the hold, but none of his self-defense techniques did anything to weaken their grip. He was lifted up by his neck, slammed down to the ground, and with the hand tightening around his throat, lost consciousness a moment later.

 

* * *

 

General Iroh surveyed the damage to the base within Roku Atoll. A completely enclosed island outfitted as a top-secret shipyard for the latest in naval technology. A natural fortress, no way in or out without the assistance of powerful earthbenders, guarded by the best troops in the United Forces and staffed by their best engineers.

And a few hours ago, someone had broken in and stolen the UF’s latest piece of hardware, and blasted the base apart with the weapons of their own ship.

“How did this happen?”

The commander fidgeted. “We don’t know, sir. The attack took place at night, there were no breaches to the surface perimeter, but we’re still trying to figure out how they got in. No one got a good look at who stole the ship.”

 _In order to get to the_ Isonade _without being seen, someone would have to have dropped down from above the base. With the minimum crew size for the vessel, there were at least ten intruders. Likely more if they were able to capture the fifteen engineers and guards on board at the time._

He surveyed the damage. Puddles of water where there should have been none, walkways torn out of the rock face, preventing defenders from reaching the ship in time. But the only scorch marks were made by explosives.

_Waterbenders and earthbenders, definitely, but if there were firebenders, they didn't take part in the fighting outside the ship. They'd be more suited to close combat in the ship's corridors._

“Sir, how many people even know about the prototype?”

“Outside of the base staff working on it, only a few members my family, President Raiko, and the admiralty of the United Forces.”  

_Not people likely to spread the information around._

“Everyone at this base is to be detained for questioning until I'm convinced no one leaked details about this project."

_Or maybe the people who were "captured" were the informants._

"Now, how far can it get?”

“With the batteries fully charged, about four hundred miles."

_If they had other benders and a small enough group to launch a surprise attack, it's unlikely they have enough lightningbenders to recharge the newly designed batteries powering the ship. Assuming they have any at all. They’ll have to get reinforcements somewhere. If they have help, they'll need to  rendezvous at a dock. Or in the middle of the ocean. There’s too much area to cover. But there's nothing else to do._

“Send out a message to all ships within a five hundred mile radius to be on the lookout, and alert all UF and Fire Nation port security. We’re going to find that ship before whoever took it can figure out how to use it.”

 

* * *

 

Mako woke up the next morning in a hospital bed. The pain all around his throat made every breath painful.

“Second degree burns to your right wrist and severe bruising around your neck. Pretty minor wounds to get out of coming to work. And here I was thinking you were glad to be back on the force.” The Chief was a beacon of joy and sympathy as always. “Good thing the patrol got to you so fast.”

Mako sat up in the bed, coughing out words. “Did they see the assailant? Metalbender, dark armored, about five foot six?”

“The officers didn’t see anyone nearby, just you lying under a streetlight next to a torn up phone booth. You were hard to miss.”

He told her everything that happened, the freighter, the assailant, and the fight.

But she seemed to have a view of the bigger picture already. “Well, it wasn’t just one freighter that was hit last night, it was five, all assigned to transport military and construction equipment to former Earth Kingdom states. But whoever attacked you did so much damage to the engines the things are completely unusable. All the moving parts look like they’ve been welded into place, non-moving parts are riddled with fractures, and all the supply pipelines for fuel and coolant have been compressed shut in dozens of places. Repairing them will more expensive than constructing a new fleet.”

"What about the dock staff? Weren't there guards? Crew?"

"Yes, and they were all found half-embedded in the walls. They're fine, but still scared and roughed up. No one saw who attacked them. They were all enveloped by the metal in seconds, and had their eyes covered before they even saw anything. But thanks to you, we know how many intruders there were, and we know what to look out for." Beifong gave him a reassuring grin. “Get some rest, kid. I’ll handle this”

She stood up, and made sure to stay clear of the door.

“All right, come on in! I’m done with him for now.”

Bolin and Opal burst through into the room, bags of food in their hands.

After setting down her bags, Opal grabbed the Chief in a hug before she could leave.

“Thanks for looking after Mako, Aunt Lin!”

She got a thin smile out of the chief. “Just part of my job. Go easy on him. Pretty sure it hurts for him to talk.”

That smile went away when Bolin had his arms around her too.

"THANK YOU _SO MUCH_ FOR LOOKING OUT FOR MY DEAR BROTHER!"

"Would you get off of me?" She looked over Bolin's shoulder at Mako with an exasperated look that just said _younger siblings_. Eventually, she got free of his grip and left without another word.

Bolin kept on smiling and turned to his brother.

“Heeeeey, bro, back on the job for two days and already getting beaten up by random criminals!” He dropped a sandwich in Mako’s lap. “Oh how the mighty have fallen. Gone from taking down a giant platinum behemoth to hospitalized by some third rate thug.”

Opal handed Mako a bowl of vegetable soup. “Your brother and I thought we should see how you were doing, especially with my parents tied up in meetings.”

“Meetings?”

“My family’s staying in Republic City for a few more days while mom advises on a reconstruction plan before heading back to Zaofu. I _will_ have to do something to thank Asami for letting them stay in her mansion.“

“It’s the go-to place for extended family to stay, isn’t it? Yeah, Mako, our family and the Beifongs are getting along great! Grandma Yin is so happy to know her sweet grandson is dating such as elegant young lady of such an esteemed family.” He bowed and did a swirling hand gesture towards his girlfriend.

Opal smiled back at him. “Yes, and she keeps talking to everyone about how her two brave grandsons stopped the tyrannical Kuvira, and allowed Wu to take the throne. Korra barely even gets a mention, the way she tells it. Tu acts like he’s not jealous, but he is.”

“Tu's _always_ jealous. And Opal, don’t even try correcting Grandma. Once she’s going on about how proud of her family she is, there’s no stopping her.” His voice became more solemn. “So, what _is_ the reconstruction plan? There’s been a lot of speculation in the papers about how to handle the transfer of power, but Kuvira’s regime hasn’t left the nation in a good position.”

“The Fire Nation is supplying the bulk of the relief. Food rations are being transported via the maglev trains. There’s _one_ thing Kuvira did right. Resources are stretched pretty thin, though. The domes aren’t getting rebuilt any time soon with their metal in pieces scattered across Republic City.”

Mako instinctively clutched his arm as his memory flashed back to the destruction of the Colossus. “Sorry to hear that.”

“The majority of the army stood down or deserted since Kuvira surrendered with most of her best troops and a lot of her military hardware. They’re scattered across the different states, and with security now nonexistent at Kuvira’s work camps, forced laborers and dissidents have escaped by the thousands. The United Forces are performing cleanup work, but, well, it’s an entire continent. And unfortunately, some of the people in those prisons _deserved_ to be locked up there."

“What about holdouts?”

“There are few, but nothing really serious. If they weren’t at the border a few weeks ago, they weren’t Kuvira’s top men. And thanks to…ugh, “Varrick Global Industries”, what few war machines that aren't being cleaned off Republic City's streets aren’t posing much of an threat thanks to the EMP devices Varrick designed shorting out all electrical equipment in their army.”

Bolin spoke up through a mouthful of bread and meat. “Mahnufabtud by Futuh Industes.”

“Speaking of Future Industries, are Korra and Asami back yet?”

Bolin and Opal glanced at each other before turning back to Mako. Bolin decided to answer his brother before the silence got any more awkward.

“No, they’re still on their Spirit World vacation. Heck of a time to take one. Bet you could have just called in Korra, she’d track down the metalbender with her spirity powers and take ‘em down without breaking a sweat.”

_That's not a bad idea._

“So, are you gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll be alright. It’s just some bruises and burns, nothing that’s slowed me down before. I’ve felt worse after pro-bending games. It’s just that what happened worries me.”

“Well, yeah, Mako, you got beaten up by some metal suited weirdo.”

“Not what happened to me, the crime itself. This wasn’t just some run-of-the-mill triad thug. They had a target. Damaging relief efforts from the Fire Nation to the Earth Kingdom.”

“Earth Federation.” Corrected Opal, grinning at the sound of the title in spite of Mako’s dour tone.

“What?”

“This morning, Wu announced he was restructuring the kingdom into a federation of autonomous states with Ba Sing Se functioning as a constitutional monarchy.” Opal’s smile got even larger. “Zaofu’s completely independent, no need to acknowledge the authority of the throne at all now.”

“Oh, well that sound li-that isn’t the point. There’s someone out there knowledgeable enough about the relief efforts to know specific ships to sabotage, is powerful enough to do so single-handedly, and is completely unconcerned by confrontations with law enforcement. And it was only because of dumb luck I was there to see them at all.”

Bolin gestured to his brother’s arm. “Well, said law enforcement wasn’t exactly in top form at the time. Bring in some metalbenders of your own and that’ll fix this problem.”

“Yeah, Mako, can’t they just add extra security?”

“They probably will, but this is still an unusual threat. Crimes connected to something this scale have larger implications. Someone’s going to benefit from it. Plus, metalbending is a rare skill, someone running around using it for industrial sabotage just hasn’t happened before. Only a very small fraction of a _percent_ of the population can even do it, not all of them learn, and practically all of them were trained by Toph or someone else who was. That’s why there are so few outside the RCPD and Zaofu.”

Opal frowned. “And the Earth Empire army. After Kuvira made testing for the ability standard for all earthbending troops, it’s not as rare as it used to be.”

Bolin contemplated the situation for a moment, then gasped and nervously turned towards his girlfriend. “Opal, honey, I don’t suppose your mom has some _other_ renegade student who left home to wreak havoc?”

“No, definitely not. Kuvira was a one-time deal.”

His sighed as his entire body relaxed. “Oh, good. Did _not_ want to go through that again.”

But he could tell Mako was still preoccupied with what happened.

He patted his brother on the shoulder. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll be able to take this guy down. Detective Mako is on the case! As soon as he’s discharged!”

For a moment, Mako finally lightened up. “Heh. Yeah, we’ll take ‘em down. Thanks, bro.”

 

* * *

 

Officer Li had been stationed as a guard at the Republic City Spirit Portal for the last week, and it was starting to become unbearable. It was beautiful, but standing around with spirits staring at her constantly was getting creepier each day. Those weird, beady eyes. And large, reptilian eyes. Lots of different eyes. Watching. Judging. They didn’t watch any of the other guards, so when she complained, she sounded paranoid. And she was sure the light from it was doing something to her vision. Not to mention completely throwing off her sleep schedule. Local wildlife was having the same problem; the constant glow was driving every pigeon-rat in the city crazy.

Nothing serious ever happened anyway. Some reporter would make an excuse to get through the roadblocks, got to the edge of the crater, she or another guard would tell them no, the portal is not open to the public, please leave, they did. After taking a picture and blinding her with the flash, because _apparently_ there wasn’t enough damn light coming from this thing.

She heard something weird coming from behind her, and looked into the portal. A weird whining sound, distorted by whatever mockery of physics was responsible for this portal. It didn’t sound like any spirit she’d encountered so far. She moved closer to make out the noise. What was that?

She barely had time to avoid getting run over.

Korra, with Asami on her back and a giant carrot in her hands, air-scootered out of the portal, the two of them screaming at the top of their lungs as hundreds of spirits resembling glowing, five-foot long eggplants poured out after them, buzzing like hornets, knocking Li and the other guards down into the crater. As quickly as they’d come, the bulbous creatures began flying back into the Spirit World. The last of them slowed down, sprouted a fanged mouth and turned towards the humans.

“AND STAY OUT!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first chapter of my first LoK fanfiction. So, how'd I do?
> 
> Leave comments. I need comments.


	2. Steamed Crab

Korra waited patiently as Asami pulled wads of anomalous blue sludge out of her ponytail, cursing with each one as she wiped it on the spirit vines.

 _So, otherworldly beings of unfathomable power,_ that's _what it takes to mess up Asami's hair. I'm gonna have to get her some good shampoo to make up for this._

The two walked together past the RCPD officers guarding the portal, getting some rather annoyed stares on the way to Asami's car, parked a few blocks past the edge of the wilds.

Asami gestured to their giant carrot. "So, what are we gonna do with our 'loot'?" 

"I'll look up some recipes to cook it with. You just leave it to me." Korra hefted the meter-long vegetable over her shoulder, and gave Asami a chiding glance. "You just _had_ to pull out the biggest one, didn't you."

Her girlfriend was indignant. "We were out of food!"

"What, were we gonna eat this whole thing while we were in there? Also, we were within sight of the portal."

"Which is how I knew we'd be able to make a quick getaway. And it worked."

_Well, she's not wrong._

Korra chuckled to herself as the two hiked up the crater. It's not like she hadn't caused some of the trouble herself.

She reached out her hand to take Asami's, just lke they'd done when they left.

_Just the two of us-_

“Hey! KORRA, ASAMI, WAIT UP!”

They both spun around to see Bolin running up to them, skidding to a halt and breathing heavily.

“So. How’s it going?” He said between breaths. “Oh, man, I had to. Sprint. Like twenty blocks. Cabs. Can't get. Through fast enough. Ugh. Wow, that's a big carrot.”

Korra decided to answer first. “We’re doing fine, Bolin. The vacation was gre- it was, um, well.”

“The vacation was…something.” Asami finished, pulling another clump of viscous fluid out of her hair. Some glowing green stuff this time. “I don’t think I’ll be going back, though. How did you even know we were back in the city?”

“Chief Beifong got a report from one of her officers, called Opal and her family, I was there, she had to leave because Tenzin _also_ called her, because President Raiko called _him_ about something, don’t know what, Opal can’t carry me while flying, I started running.” He straightened himself, even more out of breath than before and giving a cheesy grin.

Korra’s smiled back and the three walked together, slowly, Bolin at the center. “So, Bolin, what’s been happening in Republic City? ”

“Oh, the same stuff since you left, cleaning up rubble and Colossus parts, people returning to their homes, traffic’s bad, Mako got attacked by a mysterious metalbender who was sabotaging international shipping and was in the hospital for a day, RCPD is scrambling in response to public outcry and fear of new threats.”

_Same old, same old._

Asami jumped in. “Mako got attacked? Is he okay?”

“Oh, he’s fine, just a little roughed up. And, y’know, his arm’s still broken.”

Korra turned to Bolin. “Well, I’ll be sure to check up on him. Does anyone know anything about the-you said it was a metalbender?”

“Yeah, he tore apart the engines on some freighters carrying relief supplies from the Fire Nation. It’s in all the papers. But who cares!” Then he pulled Korra and Asami close to him, one in each arm, taking no notice of the dirt and ooze they both got on him. “So, not to sound to nosy or anything, but how was your vacation, huh? Alone in the Spirit World. Just you two. Two alone people. Together… _alone_.”

Korra looked at Asami, and back at Bolin, smiling.

“Yes, we’re dating.”

He flung his arms up, jostling them both. “I knew it! I knew something was going on when I saw the two of you making eyes at each other at the dinner in Zaofu!”

Korra grinned. _I guess he knew before I did._

Asami couldn’t hide her amusement. “It was that obvious, huh?”

“Actually, I knew ever since you took Korra for a drive on your estate’s test track during the whole Equalist crisis.” He shrugged. “Love finds a way.”

Asami threw a confused look at the earthbender. “But, Bolin, that was when Mako and I were-“

" _I_ _knew. Love finds a way._ "

Asami pulled yet another blob of slime out of her hair. “Though the vacation was a disaster.” She looked back at Korra and smiled. “Well, not a complete disaster. Even if we did almost get eaten by a jellyfish the first day.”

Bolin looked confused. “How did that happen?”

“We must have trespassed into its territory or something. It didn’t do anything except bite and scream at us.“

“No, I mean how do jellyfish even eat? Where was the mouth?”

“In the case of spirit-jellyfish, its mouth _s_  were attached to the ends of its tentacles. Twenty each. All of them screaming.”

“Well, thank you, both for that biology lesson and the nightmare I’ll be having later.” His disgust switched back to excitement. “Oh, I can’t wait to tell Opal about you two. The four of us are going on a double date, _soon_.”

Korra grew apprehensive. “Well, hold on. Our relationship isn’t a secret or anything, I just don’t really want to make a big deal of it right now. Plus, especially with everything we’ve been dealing with, and _will_ be dealing with, we don’t want any more drama.”

Asamis raised an eyebrow, to Korra's discomfort. "We don't?"

Bolin looked at her, knowing. “You mean you don’t want any more drama with _Mako_.”

“…Yes.”

He sighed, and smiled again. “Fine. That’s probably a good idea, if he gets any more awkward around you two, he’ll burst.”

Korra looked nervously at Asami, realizing her screwup. After a few seconds, Asami broke the silence. “I need to get back to Future Industries tower. My company depends partially on shipping to the Fire Nation, so I’ve got to figure out how this attack affects us. Give Tenzin and Mako my best, though.”

Korra took her staff out of the back of the car, chucked in the "groceries", and got ready to fly. Bolin looked around the deserted streets nervously.

“Hey, I don’t mean to intrude or anything, Asami, but is there any chance I could hitch a ride with you for a bit? My apartment is in the direction of your office.”

“Hop in.” She turned to Korra, and tilted her head up for a goodbye kiss.

 _Wait…tilted_ up _?_

Asami looked down and saw Korra had bent a platform of earth to raise herself up past her height, and burst out laughing. Her girlfriend took her face in her hands. "You're six feet tall and wear heels anyway. _It's not fair._ "

That just made Asami laughed even harder.

Seeing an opportunity, Korra sunk the platform back down into the walkway and decided to get right to it. "Look, are you okay with keeping _us_ quiet for now?"

Asami smiled back, and felt obliging. "Sure. It's not like I need more publicity in my personal life. Just...don't worry over Mako, all right? It's not his business."

Korra nodded, leaned up for another kiss, unfolded her glider, and took off as Asami and Bolin drove away.

 

* * *

 

From high in the air, Korra surveyed Republic City. Many of the buildings were still damaged, and the half-deconstructed remains of the Colossus lay in the center of the city. Still a long way to go. A few minutes later, she landed on the dock to Air Temple Island.

“Hey, Opal!”

Her friend looked up from fiddling with Juicy's saddle. “Korra! Sorry I wasn’t able to meet you with Bolin. It’s so good to see you!" She paused and leapt down to the ground. "And I take it _Asami’s_ getting back to work, too?”

The airbender was grinning with anticipation.

_Okay, do I tell her right now, or do I drive her insane waiting for Bolin?_

The airbender was **shaking** with anticipation. “Well?!”

_I can’t let him miss this._

“Uh huh. She's fine.”

Opal's smile shrunk by a few teeth.

Then vanished completely as the silence went on.

Then her expression looked like Korra had just killed a puppy in front of her.

_Opal, noooooo, don’t look at me like that, don't do this to me..._

But she pressed on. It'll pay off later. “Bolin mentioned that Tenzin got a call from Raiko?”

“Oh. Yeah, he’s in his study if you want to talk to him.”

"Thanks."

Korra walked up to the temple, looking back to see Opal staring into off into space, apparently in the midst of an existential crisis.

_Sheesh, calm down, Opal._

Moving through the temple, she found Tenzin on the phone, red with anger.

“What do you mean you can’t tell me?! I’ve got airbenders scattered across the coast, but what _exactly_ should they be on the lookout for?” Korra could hear a muffled response. “They’re already keeping watch for “threats to world security”, that’s basically their standing order!”

Korra knocked lightly on his door. Tenzin turned, and his bad mood lightened in an instant.

“I’ll call you back, Raiko.” He unhesitantly hung up the phone and rushed over to her. “It’s wonderful to see you again.”

“I was only gone five days, Tenzin. What did Raiko want?”

He groaned. "That's what I'd like to find out. He called me up this morning telling me to have airbenders survey the coastline, but refused to give any details about why. If he wants the Air Nation's help, he can show greater transparency." He smiled at her. "But we have other work to do, and I think you're going to be needed for it." 

That took Korra by surprise. She'd just come to say hi.

"What do you mean?"

Tenzin stood up to his full height, looking respectful and dignified. He'd been practicing for this moment.

"Former Earth Kingdom states are forming their own independent governments, but they need help. Kuvira's regime stabilized things, but with her gone, local governments are afraid of repeating the chaos of three years ago. The United Forces, White Lotus, and Air Nation are taking an active role, but with so much ground to cover we'll be needing all the help we can get. We need _you_."

Korra tried to hide her excitement at the offer. She didn't do it very well.

"Let them all know the Avatar is back." 

 

* * *

 

Asami tried to find a way through the congestion, but with all the new vines and construction crews taking up space, only a quarter of the streets were open to allow people from one side of the city to the other, and she didn't know which ones had been cleared.

_I should try to renovate the tunnels below the city. With the right application of ramps and some new supports, they could be used to bypass all this._

She also realized she'd need to reupholster the driver's seat.

At least Bolin was there to break up the monotony.

“So, Asami! Datin’ the Avatar. Okay, some friendly advice, there’s this great Water Tribe restaurant, Narook’s Seaweed Noodlery, best in the city, you should take her there. Great place. She loved it when I brought her. Also, _double date_ , I'm serious about that. Opal’s gonna lose it.”

_Mental note: Narooks Seawe-wait, what?_

“ _You_ dated Korra, too?”

“Oh, well, only once, not long after we met. Didn’t you know?”

Asami sighed. “No one tells me anything.”  _Well, except Korra._ “Let me get this straight: you, Mako, and I have all dated Korra. Every one of her friends has had a crush on her. Did anyone else? Did Opal?”

Bolin stared blankly as he thought about how he saw Korra practicing airbending with his girlfriend years ago in Zaofu. Better change the subject. "C’mon, tell me everything that happened in the Spirit World. All the stuff that doesn’t involve killer jellyfish.”

Asami paused, sweeping across lanes at every opportunity to get past other cars. “It wasn’t what I was hoping for. Sure, there was plenty of romantically gazing into each other’s eyes and cuddling in sleeping bags, but that was a small portion of the trip spent in between being harassed by the wildlife.” She paused, splitting her attention between the road and recalling the various abominations she’d seen in the past few days. “Everything is alive. Everything. Not only alive, _sapient_. And vocal. Giant dogs, hordes of spiders that spoke in word salads, a lizard that was made out of fire...I nearly got thrown into a mind-erasing fog by a field of angry grass.”

Nervously tapping his fingers, Bolin tried to think of the bright side. “Well, romantic gazes are…good.” He thought back to his own experiences in the Spirit World. Fighting hordes of glowing monsters as Korra tried to save the world. The release of the embodiment of darkness. Breaking up with his fiancée. “Come to think of it, has _anything_ good happened to us in the Spirit World? Asami? Asami, CAR!”

Asami briefly stopped visualizing the swarm of pineapple wasps and came to a stop.

_Why do they look like fruit…how do these things even come into being? Is there natural selection in the Spirit World? Why do they need camouflage?_

“Hey, didn’t you pass the turn for Future Industries Tower?”

“I’m not going to make you walk through this traffic after you ran all that way to greet us. Your apartment’s on the south side, across the bay, right?”

“Well, it’s Mako’s apartment, but yeah.”

 _I should just get my own personal airship. Overcome jams once and for all. Or maybe I could make an airship that can store my car_ inside _it and move it over traffic when it gets annoying. If I set up the controls right and had an interface with the car, I could pilot the airship using the steering wheel and dammit I’m starting to sound like Varrick._

“Asami! Please focus on the road when we’re in heavy traffic.”

“Oh, relax, I’ve had more going on in my head during  _much_  worse congestion.” She took a hard right, deftly weaving between cars as they sped across the bridge. " So, when are you and Opal free next week?"

 

* * *

 

Mako read through the paper. The story about the freighters was on the front page, lots of testimonies from the workers who were attacked, pictures of mangled machinery, outrage from the company, and calls for police action. He should be filling out paperwork, but it’s not easy to dive into your work when burns on both your arms cause you pain whenever you write.

A sketch of the saboteur made from his description accompanied the story.

_What are you after?_

A knock on his door brought the world back into focus, and he looked up to a familiar, happy face.

“Hey, Mako. Love the new office.”

“Korra!” He walked to his friend, and she tried to hug him in the least painful manner possible.

Realizing how much the outburst hurt his throat, he calmed down and spoke with a weak voice. "I heard you were back. Actually, everyone could hear Li yelling about it through the Chief's phone."

That got her a bit flustered as she flashed back to the killer eggplants. Then she glanced down at the bruises around his neck, and the new bandages on his free hand.

“So, I hear there’s been some trouble down at the docks? What happened?”

“That’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about. You can feel the energy of everyone in the city through the vines, right? Could you use them to keep a lookout for the guy who did it?”

“Well, I could try, but can’t really promise anything. Finding Wu was part luck, and with him I at least knew who I was looking for. But how are _you_  doing?”

 _Oh. She was concerned fo_ _r_ me _._

“Right.” Mako realized he’d been rather rude trying to get her involved in a fight right away. “Sorry to get right to the point it’s just-I'm great. Throat hurts, but I'm back on the force, doing good and all that…so, how’s Asami?”

“Oh, yeah, Asami’s great. She’s doing…great.”

The two of them stared at each other. 

“If you want some advice, take her to Kwong’s Cuisine. She loves that place. Though it’s _really_ pricy, and they have a strict dress code. But it’s also very romantic, and just because she's rich doesn't mean you can't pay for a good date yourself from time to time.” Mako paused, thinking to himself. “Though, now that I mention it, it might have been destroyed…”

Korra froze. “Wait, you _knew_ about us?”

“Of course I knew. I am a detective, you know.” He smiled as she looked on, shocked. “Come one. I’ve got a lunch break, let’s go catch up.”

 

* * *

 

Captain Qien grinned as he looked across the water at his target.

The _Isonade_ was visible off the starboard side of the ship, replenishing its air supply. General Iroh had been right. With limited power, they were surfacing to vent out the carbon dioxide instead of using the air recycling systems. And the _Heikegani_ was lucky enough to spot them.

“Comm, transmit our position and bearing to all United Forces ships in range.” He sent a message throughout the ship. “All hands to battle stations! This is not a drill!”

They quickly bore down on the _Isonade_ , waterbenders preparing to launch themselves at the submarine and cut open entry points. The enemy hadn’t shown themselves, and made no effort to submerge the ship and flee. Once in range, the first wave rode pillars of water towards their target.

And all four got stabbed through the heart with ice shards before getting halfway there. Rather than fall into the ocean, their bodies, pulled by the frozen masses embedded in their chests, were hurled back onto the deck of the _Heikegani_ , hitting the plating amongst their comrades.

Qien and the crewers were stunned for a moment, but couldn't afford to be distracted for long. 

"Sir, they’re deploying weapons.”

He looked back, and saw a cannon emerge from the captured ship, blasting an enormous stream of water across his deck. A lone enemy stood alongside it, obscured by the mist coming off the torrent.

He’d read about this in the report. A high-volume water cannon designed to siphon from the ocean and cover areas with it to aid waterbending soldiers, farther and faster than they could do it alone. Big deal. He had waterbenders too, and his crewmen could handle getting wet.

In the distance, their opponent made swift, arcing motions with his arms. Some style of waterbending. It wouldn't matter against an entire battleship.

“Waterbenders, counter that spray! Earth and firebenders, get ready to attack! Target that cannon!”

Screaming came from the deck. Qien could see why. He could _feel_ why. All the water that had landed on the ship was heating up. Soon it had reached scalding temperatures, his crew  being burned by the dozens. And the battleship was being doused with more and more as the _Isonade_ kept up the pressure. While evaporating, it didn’t disperse, instead forming an expanding sphere that was overtaking the ship. Overtaking _the bridge._ Even though they were protected by the glass, the air was heating up fast.

In the distance, their opponent stepped up his pace, roiling the fluid around the battleship. Eventually, the heat and pressure became so great the glass encasing the bridge shattered. Some of them were fast enough to shield themselves from the glass, but many got jagged shards blasted into their faces.

Anyone in the core of the ship was cut off from the cloud, but the command and deck crews were as good as dead.

The saturated air was burning through their skin. In a moment, their fat would break down and their arteries would burst.

The captain considered giving the order to abandon ship, hoping to save anyone still capable of doing so. But he stopped when he saw more steam rising around the sides of the ship.

The ocean was boiling.

The waterbender made one final motion, raising a bubbling hot wave over the bow of the battleship and bringing it down onto the helpless target, sweeping the UF's finest away and flowing down into the bowels of the ship, enveloping anyone not sealed behind a watertight door.

Captain Qien looked down at his burning red hands, then out over the bloodied corpses of his crew. He maintained consciousness just long enough to feel the jolt of his ship’s hull being torn open, water flooding in and dragging it down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Bolin is every crack-shipper.
> 
> Have you ever looked up the physical symptoms of being boiled alive? Fun stuff.
> 
> Anyway, leave comments. What you liked, what you didn't, deep personal secrets, whatever, I need some feedback.


	3. Feel the Burn

Korra sat on the largest vine she could find in the Spirit Wilds, and meditated. Through the vines spread throughout the city, she could sense everyone's spirit. Their energy. But how could she pick out one criminal she'd never even seen?

_Let's see, metalbender, metal, bender, where are you..._

She thought back to Mako's burns, and to his weakened voice. This guy was going to pay. There are only so many places in this city

_He's also prevented the Earth Federation from stabilizing by cutting off supplies. One more problem I need to deal with. I just need to find him before tomorrow._

She felt the energy of the docks, where Mako had been attacked, and swept through the various districts of Republic City. Business, industry, the police force, families at home, remaining military forces in the city. It was no easy task to avoid violating people's privacy  _and_ hunt down a dangerous criminal in their midst.

She thought about the magnitude of this place. Maybe that's how she kept winding up back here. So many people's spirits, all going about their lives.

Then, she felt a flicker, the energy leading her to a spirit, definitely human, but it vanished as soon as she tried to focus on it, fading into the background provided by the city's massive population and vine energy.

Korra tried to expand her "view" of the metropolis, but couldn't figure out where that spirit was or how it had vanished.

She tried to discern out where it had come from, but that pulse had faded. Somewhere iiiiin-the restaurant district?

_I guess I can contact the police and have them check the area. The area now packed with restaurant goers. For someone without known physical features. Who might not even be there. Right. I guess even international criminals need to eat._

All of a sudden she felt hungry.

Asami noticed her stirring and looked up from her car. "Anything?"

"No-at least I don't think so. Maybe. Nothing helpful."

"You've been at this for two hours. Don't you think you should take a break?"

Korra nodded. Sitting like this was starting to get uncomfortable. "That sounds like a plan."

Asami started up the car. "Come on. Bolin's expecting us soon." 

"Okay, but we need to pick up some meat on the way."

 

* * *

 

The two of them reached an abandoned quarry outside the city limits. Bolin had refused to tell either of them why he wanted them to come, only saying that he "wanted to make up for lost time". The place was huge, but a few hundred feet away Korra could see him and Opal, who both rushed towards the car.

Bolin lagged behind, forming a circle of flat ground, while Opal ran up to greet them.

"Hi, Asami!" Then her expression soured. " _Korra._ "

"Heh, hey Opal. I take it Bolin told you the big news?"

"Yes, he did. I'm very happy for you both." She walked up to Korra, and began punching her in the shoulder with each word. "Don't. String. Me. Along. Like. That. Again."

"Ow, Opal, I just didn't want Bolin to miss out- _ow!_ "

Korra's shoulders were tough, but they couldn't take that forever. 

Asami caught Opal's wrist before the next blow could land. " _Quit it._ " 

Korra rubbed her sore shoulder.  _She's a Beifong, all right. How the heck did she go from that delicate, meek rich girl to this in the last three years?_

Opal took Asami's arm and ushered her back, ignoring the annoyed glare she was been given. "We should get to a safe distance."

Surprised by Opal's instruction, Korra turned around to the earthbender, who was finally satisfied with his plot of land. "So, Bolin, why did you want me to come here?"

Bolin took a firm stance, made two sweeping motions with his arms, and a huge area of the earth began to bubble and glow dim orange. 

"Because it's the perfect training ground!" He turned to his new student. "Lavabending 101! Let's see if my teaching skills have gotten better since my days in the army."

Korra felt both excitement and creeping, horrified realization. "You tried to teach Kuvira's soldiers how to lavabend?"

He gritted his teeth and looked away, embarassed. "Yeah, I thought it would help deal with bandits, provide heat, that sort of thing."

Korra was more than a little disturbed by the though of an army of lavabenders under Kuvira's command. Bolin could read her mind, remembering the dictator's early insistence on spreading that power like she had done with metalbending.

_"Bolin, the Earth Kingdom is falling apart. To restore it, we'll need all the power we can get. I know you have reservations about your abilities, but it's your duty to-"_

He shut her voice out of his head. "Yeah, I try not to think about it." He took up a firm stance, and rounded out the lava pool. "Now, when I first learned lavabending it was with lava already made by Ghazan, and was pretty much just imitating some motions I saw him do. Let's start with the same setup. Well, almost the same setup. You and your friends won't die if you fail. Follow my steps."

"Is it even possible for me to do this?"

"You're the Avatar. Doesn't that automatically mean you can master any bending discipline?"

"I thought so, but Aang was never able to metalbend. Or Toph refused to teach him so she could keep an advantage and make fun of him. Or maybe Suyin was wrong when she said I was the first. I kept forgetting to ask them about that..."

"Well, Kuvira's people dug up info on the few recorded instances of lavabending for me, and most of the people on the list were Avatars. So come on, work with me." He gave her a big grin. "You can do it."

She mimicked his stance, and observed him going through the motions. Lots of firm, sweeping motions, more kicks than typical earthbending. With each motion, Bolin created disturbances in the pool, but Korra's replication of his motions did nothing. He kept critiquing her stances, her pacing, and her mentality, but they weren't getting anywhere. 

After nearly three hours, the heat radiating from the glowing mass was starting to get to them both, while  Opal waited on the sidelines, slumped over with boredom. At a few points, they took breaks, Opal flying out to bring some water while Bolin reheated the pool. Asami had brought out a book after the first hour, intermittently looking back to see how they were doing.

Korra stopped following Bolin and moved more aggressively, drawing power from her breathing, trying to heat the earth herself. 

"I don't get it. What am I doing differently from you?"

"Well, you motions are a lot more rapid. It's like you're trying to firebend the earth. Lavabending isn't about power. When I use it, I feel the flow of the earth, trying to redirect it."

Asami thought about the mechanics of the art, and how to overcome this obstacle. She had been analyzing Bolin and Korra's movement, studying the motions, and after a few moments, she spoke up. "Korra, try to incorporate waterbending, not firebending."

Opal looked up at her, puzzled. "But, isn't lavabending basically a combination of earth and firebending? What are you thinking, Asami?"

"I'm thinking that Bolin turning earth into lava is more similar to the transition between ice and water than anything else. Give it a shot."

"Yeah, but, I thought Avatars were guaranteed to be able to do it because they could bend earth _and_ fire."

"Why? Because they're both hot?"

"Well, yeah, um, and, y'know...orange..." Opal trailed off as she realized what Asami had put together, before turning back to the training area. "Right, Korra, waterbending-earthbending combo, give it a shot."

Korra stood firm, made circular motions more in the style of waterbending-and absolutely nothing happened. She kept going, mixing different forms, but still not getting anywhere. Frustrated, she sat down, glancing back towards the lava. A small wave moved across the surface.

She looked over at Bolin, who was shaking with glee. "Don't look at me, that was all you!"

Korra got right back up and kept waving her arms at the burning liquid, but couldn't get achieve anything more than a ripple in the surface. The excitement subsided after a few minutes. All just in time for her to call it quits for the day. 

Asami walked up to her. "Congratulations."

Korra smiled weakly at her, wiping sweat off her brow. "Let's go. I've got something special planned for tonight." 

 

* * *

 

Mako emerged from his office to see Li at her desk, leaning back, eyes shut, with a look of greater contentment than he could ever hope to achieve.

"You know the chief will send you straight back to the portal if she catches you slacking off, right?"

She didn't even turn to look at him. "Don't care. No spirits. Dim lighting. Must...get back...regular sleep cycle."

Between them, the phone on Gang's unattended desk started to ring.

Li half-heartedly started to move before Mako picked up the phone. "Republic City Police Department."

The voice on the other line was speaking in a whisper. "Hello? My name's Kwon, I'm the night watchman for the Future Industries Warehouse 8. _I need help_."

Mako snapped his fingers, and Li sprang to attention. She may be fatigued, but that wouldn't stop her from responding to a call. "This is detective Mako. What's your emergency?"

"Well, um, you people probably know all about that attack on the freighters a few nights ago, right? The metalbender who ripped them apart? Well, he's _here_. Please, send-" 

All Mako could hear was a brief scream, the crunching of the other phone, then nothing.

 

* * *

 

Asami's phone line to the Future Industries Tower penthouse was disconnected, same for the intercom, the doors were locked, and the windows were open to the cool air and the dim light of a full moon and the Spirit Portal.

_No calls, no work, no interruptions, just us._

She walked to her penthouse's kitchen, the smell of food wafting from it. "So, what are we having?"

Korra fiddled with the oven for a moment before answering. "Arctic hen, fried rice, some vegetable dumplings made from Pema's recipe, aaaand quite a few helpings of roasted, diced carrots." 

The smell was intoxicating. Korra opened the pots the check on the food, using waterbending to keep all the steam inside and maintain pressure. At the same time, she metalbending pans to move around the rice and vegetables.

"Almost ready..." Looking over at the remainder of the vegetable, Korra grimaced. "We should probably give the rest of the carrot to Tenzin and the acolytes, we can't eat the whole thing ourselves."

While Korra firebent some candles alight and set the table, Asami brought out her own contribution to the evening: some absurdly expensive sake. 

The food was delicious. Asami hadn't realized Korra was such a good cook. Not to mention she'd been primarily eating dried or canned food for the last week. After scarfing down some dumplings, Korra looked up nervously at Asami."There's something I need to talk to you about. Earth Federation states are forming their own independent governments, and they need help. Tenzin wants the New Air Nation to have a part in this, and he wants me to be there, so I'm going to be traveling to the ones bordering the United Republic."

Asami reached across the table and took Korra's hand in hers. "Korra, that's great!"

"You're not upset?"

_Upset?_

"Of course not. Isn't this what you want?"

"It just seems like we just got back, and now I'm heading off."

_Don't be so down on yourself. You can do this if you want to._

"Don't be so down on yourself. You can do this if you want to."

"I was hoping to spend more time with you in Republic City."

 _Aaawwww_.

Asami got an idea. "You want some quality time, huh? Let me show you something special I've been working on."

She led Korra to her workshop (bringing the bottle with) to showing her what looked like half the skeleton of a metal bird.

"What am I looking at, Asami?"

"A modified set of wings from the Hummingbirds. I'm working on new aircraft designs using the technology to replace propellers, and smaller versions to act as stabilizers. This particular set is going to go into a new kind of biplane. With this, air travel will be faster, cheaper, and more reliable." She handed Korra another glass, then lifted her own. "To progress!"

Korra clinked her glass with Asami's, but paused a moment before drinking. "Alcohol and heavy machinery. What could go wrong?"

" _Please._ First off, we're not actually doing anything. Second, I've done some great work with stronger stuff in my system." She glanced over her equipment, instinctively making critiques. "Hold on, hand me that wrench, I need to tighten some stuff."

Korra handed her the tool, watching the engineer fiddle with the machine for a few minutes.

"Asami, how did _you_ feel when I cut off contact? When I left."

_Woah, what?_

Asami froze for a moment, thinking of what to say.

_Don't fuck this up don't fuck this up don't fuck this up._

"I was, well, I was scared. Scared you wouldn't come back. That you were lying dead somewhere out in the world."

 _I had a giant statue of you built and stuck it in the center of town where everyone who didn't like you would have to look at it or forego use of the park._  

"I thought a lot about what you were going through, asked everyone else what I should do, but the answer always seemed to be to give you time."

_I seriously considered building or buying the necessary equipment, going to that mountain prison, breaking in, and murdering Zaheer._

"I was touched by your letter. It told me a lot about what you were going through. Maybe I read to much into it at the time, but I thought it said a lot about  _us._ And I was _so_ scared I would never see you again."

_What brought this on, was it the alcohol?_

Korra's eyes began to water.

_I SAID DON'T FUCK THIS UP WHAT ARE YOU DOING._

"No matter what I felt, you were feeling worse, and you shouldn't feel bad about leaving. What's important is you're back now. You were there for everyone when it really mattered. People do strange things when they're desperate. Or hurt."

That piqued Korra's curiosity. "Have you?"

_Yes, good, take the out, get the hell away from this topic._

Asami leaned her head back, thinking, and her voice took a horrified tone. "Yes. When it seemed like my company was going to go bankrupt, and I would lose my last connection to my family, I was so scared and stressed, and did something otherwise unthinkable." She threw in a dramatic pause and a wide-eyed stare. " _I tried to get back together with Mako_."

Korra spat her drink across the room, and nearly fell off of her stool, laughing. "Oh, come on, he was a pretty goodboyfriend."

"Eeehhhhhh..." Asami smiled, but mock-horror turned to genuine regret. "I did willingly aid known criminals trying to protect Future Industries. I promised to give them weapons and vehicles. If they hadn't been working for Varrick, I don't know what I would have done after that night. I probably would have wound up in prison before long. And Mako along with me."

"Heh, you two aren't exactly criminal masterminds." But Korra soon went back to worrying. "The world is still changing. And like before, new threats are going to pop up, faster and faster, just like everything else in the world. With everything I know, all the power I have, is it going to be enough?"

"Well, if you want an engineer's advice, that's something we'll have to put to the test. And I don't think you'll have any trouble. Besides, I'm here to help you, and so is everyone else."

Korra looked up and nodded, looking a little more secure.

_But still uncertain._

"Korra, you've changed so much. You've endured so much, and even though it cost you, _you won_. Amon, Unalaq, the Red Lotus, the Earth Empire, they're _gone._ Whatever happens, you _will_ win. You've got the skills, and the experience, and the talent."

Asami watched Korra's posture change. Straightening up, eyes more focused, hands clenching.

_There's my tough gal._

Korra braced herself and downed another glass, grinning. "Tenzin's sending Opal and Ikki out tomorrow. I'm going to go with them."

_Okay, Asami, make your move._

She turned away from the equipment and leaned in, unbuttoning Korra's shirt. "Then we should make the most of tonight."

 

* * *

 

Lin watched as the enemy metalbender emerged from the warehouse, an enormous steel crate hovering next to them.

Two airships and a dozen squad cars bore down on the warehouse, officers of multiple bending disciplines pouring out to face the thief.

One of her deputies blasted commands over the speaker of the airship above her. "STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING. LOWER THE CRATE AND PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD. YOU ARE UNDER ARREST."

At the sight of this small army, they casually lowered their cargo, but otherwise stood their ground. And then took a defensive stance.

"I REPEAT, PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD OR WE WILL ATTACK."

It looked like Mako’s description. At least, the faceplate and general pattern of the armor did. The suit looked like it had another layer of plating added to it, plus an armored skirt and pauldrons. Too much mass to be used in a stealth operation.

"THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING."

They'd come prepared for a fight. And they weren't backing down.

 _So, this is going to be one of_  those _days_. _All right, time to nab this freak._

Lin and her officers launched all their cables to envelope and restrain their opponent, only for them to be knocked back in mid-air, falling uselessly to the ground. Firebenders moved in after them, their flames impacting and evaporating around their target without any effect. Even when a bolt of lighting made contact, it harmlessly arced through the metal plates and into the ground. The enemy hadn’t even moved. Listening through the earth, Lin couldn't feel any vibrations coming from them. No heartbeat, nothing.

_You have got to be kidding._

She decided to switch tactics. “Waterbenders, move in! Metalbenders, switch to earthbending!”

 _That_ got the enemy’s attention, as they began weaving between water whips with more agility and flexibility than should be possible encased in that much steel. The smaller plates detached and flew towards the enemy benders, hitting their throats, diaphragms, and joints, taking them down one by one before returning to their owner, orbiting around them and ready for another strike. One shot managed to encase their torso in ice, but a quick warping of the chest plate shattered it.

Lin and a group of cops worked together to break apart the earth and knock the enemy off their feet, but the cracks moving through the ground came to a halt within a few feet of the target. Several stabbing motions threw the officers back, pulled along by the metal in their uniforms, while Lin held her ground.

A platinum enclosure launched out of one of the airships, sealing the thief inside. Thick, highly purified, practically airtight, and perfect for capturing metalbenders. A recent purchase by the department from Varrick Global Industries, _guaranteed_  to hold any metalbender and so far highly effective against uncooperative Earth Empire soldiers.

The edges of several buzz saws emerged from the shell, effortlessly cutting through the platinum in seconds and tearing the countermeasure to pieces. 

_Of-fucking-course they can do that._

The metalbender walked out of the platinum scrap, staring upward at the airships. With two rapid, slicing arm motions, the outer plating from the airships was torn open, and they both sank towards the ground as the officers beneath them scattered to avoid being crushed.

Reaching backwards and pulling their arms forward, the entire wall of the warehouse behind the metalbender was torn apart, dozens of steel beams getting dragged out of the wall, then accelerating out from the dust cloud to attack the police. Some were able to dodge briefly, but one by one all the officers who weren't already injured were bound by the warped metal. Metalbender cops had it worst, their suits fusing into the girders so they couldn't move enough to bend their way out.

_We can’t win from long range._

Lin built up energy in the ground launched herself into the air, taking several projectiles to her armor on her arc towards her target, but powering through. She landed right in front of them, and got a grip on their chest piece, distorting it in her grip and trying to lift her opponent off the ground and break the connection with the earth. It strained her arm to hold on, even with her bending, and dammit, she couldn't move this piece of shit no matter how much force she used.

_They must weigh at least four hundred pounds. How are they moving around like it’s nothing?_

She continued twisting apart the armor, trying to rip it off, but the metal felt unfamiliar to her, and was difficult to bend normally. It was unlike any metal she'd ever bent, with more impurities, but oddly structured and somehow stronger than regular steel.

 _What_ is _this stuff?_

Then the metal in her grip began moving, warping back into shape and breaking free of her hand.

Lin was surprised, but that didn't last long. She formed a blade from the plate on her other forearm, and stabbed at her opponent's heart.

It shattered against their chest, failing to even scratch it.

She could feel the metal in her own uniform moving against her will, pulling her arms back.

The enemy's head tilted slightly, as if mocking her. A wave of their hand sent her flying back, skidding across the concrete and slamming into a wall. Her head throbbing, back aching, Lin struggled to stay conscious, watching helplessly as her officers fell around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's turned out quite a bit better than the last two. Slowing the pace a bit is working well. And of course, it has Lin Beifong, the Lieutenant Worf of the Avatar universe.
> 
> Anyway, my story now has lavabending Korra. For starters.
> 
> Leave comments. I can't be certain if what I'm doing is good if no one tells me.


	4. Yield Strength

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's left a kudos, or a comment, or a bookmark, anything. Thank you for reading.

Blood trickled down the side of Lin's head.

 _Come on, lily-liver, get up_.

She could barely move. She could barely focus on what was around her.

_GET UP!_

Her eyes sprung open, looking around. With the exception of a few medics, every one of her officers was down, either unconscious, too injured to fight, or constricted within twisted steel beams. The wrecks of the two airships lay the ground, scrap scattered around them. Every squad car on site had its engine crushed like a tin can.

_How long have I been out? Hours?_

She could see the metalbender with their stolen property in the distance, walking at what could _barely_ be considered a brisk pace towards the waterfront.

_Minutes. Okay, I can work with this._

Lin fought through the splitting headache and stabbing pains in her back, got up, and tore off her metal uniform. It wouldn't be any use. She got a firm stance, and warped the earth beneath her, riding a landslide towards the enemy.

Once she got within range, she leapt off and propelled the earth wall at the criminal.

They stood between the crate and the wave of pavement, raised their arm, and the portion that _would_ have made contact crumbled harmlessly as the rest rushed past and obliterated the road behind them.

One stomp to the ground later, and Lin had raised several columns surrounding the metalbender, cutting off their escape, and started propelling boulders at them. They took the solid stance needed to mount a defense, dirt, stones, and pavement shattering against armored palms. Lin stepped up her game, pulling dirt and pavement in from different directions, but all of them were deflected until she finally got the opening she was looking for. While her opponent blocked one shot, she launched another that pinned their arm to a pillar.

She compressed the earth, embedding the entire forearm and holding it. They were clearly struggling, but her control over the column was stronger. They were trapped. And she wasn’t going to miss her chance, raising a massive slab out of the ground, throwing it with as much power as she could manage to finish this fight.

It impacted uselessly on the ground behind its target.

Lin was stunned for a moment as she processed what had happened: the metalbender had detached their forearm above the elbow and sidestepped the attack.

Before she could attack again, their _other_ hand, connected to their wrist by a steel cable, shot out of its socket and into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and cracking a few of her ribs, striking her back to the ground.

She didn’t have the strength to stand again, and could only painfully look up and watch the escape. Their arm had been pulled free and reattched itself to their body. The damage suffered from Lin’s attempt to crush it was visibly repaired in seconds, dents vanishing, twisted fingers bending themselves back into shape. A moment later, the arm was pristine, its owner opening and closing their fist experimentally.

The metalbender didn't even glance back towards the chief of police, immediately turning to continue on their path, walking past the edge of the shoreline and disappearing into the water with the crate.

 

* * *

 

The hold of the _Isonade_  opened its moon pool to accommodate their new cargo. Everything was in there, but their commander was inspecting the load personally. Inasmuch as people like them had commanders. A few other waterbenders stood around the opening, keeping the pressure on the water so the chamber didn't flood.

And to be prepared to fight their "friend" if need be.

Everyone stood as far away from the metalbender as the cramp confines of the sub allowed. Except for Jin. She was effectively in charge of the negotiation, if you could call it that, so she got to be in close proximity of their silent associate. A job given in spite of her protests.

Jin stared into the dark slits in the visor, unsure if anything was staring back, though something told her eye contact wasn't really a concern here. “Thank you so much for your service, as always, but I have to admit we're a bit dissatisfied with your work.”

No response. As usual. An empty suit would have been more lifelike. As far as she knew, it may well _be_ an empty suit. She'd seen weirder things.

_I bet you are just a riot at parties._

“While we acknowledge that you’ve done all we asked, you’ve also drawn the attention of local law enforcement, who now know what you can do and what you look like. Relatively speaking. And with you forming a connection between the shipping sabotage and tonight’s little theft, you’ve put our operation in jeopardy. You won’t be receiving your full payment.”

The armored figure in front of her raised its gaze a few degrees. Still silent, fists slowly clenching.

The entire ship shook, and the straining of the hull was audible. Jin thought she could feel the floor beneath her buckling, water waiting to pour in and crush them all. Everyone else looked around, unsure whether to attack the source of the problem or try to raise the ship and escape.

_Nope, nope, fuck this, not doing it, I'm not dying over some fucking scrolls._

She turned to the boss. "Aelik!"

The waterbender looked back, examining the situation.

Jin glanced towards to pool, and noticed the wisps of vapor suddenly rising out from it. "I, uh, could use some help."

Aelik turned away from the crate, looking more annoyed than scared by the threat to their safety. “All right, _all right._  No need to get so angry."

"But, the ship is-"

"I wasn't speaking to _you_ , Jin."

He turned to the metalbender and snapped his fingers, prompting a crewman to come forward carrying a watertight chest, which he slid across the floor and into the steel boots.

“Here’s your full payment.”

The sound of straining metal went away, and everyone else breathed sighs of relief.

The chest hovered in the air, opened, and its new owner began rummaging through the contents.

Aelik recited their end of the deal. “Several texts on the history of earthbending, spirit world navigation, other miscellanea, and a _generous_ sum of money for…whatever it is you buy. Y'know, you're really not making this easy for us. You couldn't have just gutted that firebender cop? Saved everyone all that trouble? Or at _least_ killed a few officers when half the RCPD is bearing down on you!”

Their visitor carried the chest one-handed and proceeded back towards the moon pool, taking no notice of the waterbender's complaints before sinking back into the bay with the reward.

Jin operated the controls to close the pool, and the waterbenders took a break.

Aelik paused a moment before commenting. “Pleasure doing business, you creepy lunatic.” He turned to the other crewmembers. “Bring them in.”

A United Forces engineer and guard were dragged into the cargo bay, both in chains, and were forced to their knees in front of Aelik. 

“So, we now have the equipment, tools, and materials you said we needed to complete the modifications. No more stalling.”

The engineer tried to breath fire at the hijacker, but she was too weak to manage the range. “You’re not going to get away with this. The United Forces will find you. I'll burn you for this.”

Aelik chuckled. “Yeah, sure, _you're_ going to burn _me_.” He placed his hand on the guard's shoulder. After a few seconds, the guard was sweating profusely, red in the face, struggling to breath. Aelik turned back to the engineer. "I'm running out of patience, but fortunately for you, I still have a few of your grunts left. Shall we get to work, or do you want me to keep practicing new ways to kill your friends?"

 

* * *

 

Korra woke up first, feeling the weight of Asami's head lying on her chest, black hair messily strewn about.

She looked out the window at the sunrise, warm rays of light drowning out the green and yellow of the Spirit Portal.

_Suddenly, mornings seem a lot less evil._

She shifted her arms, held Asami tighter, closed her eyes, and dozed off again.

 

* * *

  

Lin woke up in a hospital bed, Mako at her side, and looked around the room. Same buildings out the window, same chair with the dented leg. Yep, she was in the same ugly, dingy room he'd been put in last week.

Her back hurt. Stomach hurt. Arms hurt. Everything hurt. 

_Welp, time to get to work._

She got up for roughly half a second before collapsing back into her bed. 

 _Or maybe I'll stay a little longer._ _  
_

The detective noticed her struggle, and put down his book. "Easy there, chief, don't make your injuries worse."

_I am in no mood._

She forced herself upright again in spite of the pain, feeling the bandages and casts all over her body shifting with her. " _What happened?_ "

"I was hoping to hear that from you. There are over two dozen other officers lying in beds in this building, and from what I hear, you were the last one standing."

"We got our asses kicked, that's what happened."

_And now it's going to be weeks before I can get back to work and bring this monster down._

_If I even can._

But she didn't  _truly_ feel terrible until a moment later.

Suyin was standing in the doorway, giving her sister a concerned, but unimpressed look. "You'll handle it, huh?"

 

* * *

 

While Asami was putting on her makeup, Korra scarfed down as much leftover arctic hen as she could. When you spented as much time as she did flying around with vegetarians, you learned to get protein wherever possible.

All her stuff, which wasn't much, was on Air Temple Island, waiting to to go.

The two of them went out onto the balcony, giving each other a kiss goodbye before Korra left.

"Make sure Republic City doesn't fall into the ocean or something while I'm gone, okay-" Asami cut her off and pulled her in for one more kiss.

"Go save the world, sweetheart."

Korra unfolded her glider and took off from the balcony, while Asami headed down to her office. 

_Time to get back to work._

She rehooked her phone line just in time for the ringer to blare at her. 

Half an hour later, she was at the site of the theft, looking over the devastation to her warehouse and reading off the list of stolen supplies.

The newspapers were scrambling like mad to get stories published. Eyewitness accounts told of how a single person managed to complete thrash the best cops in the city. The police hadn't been receiving this much criticism since the Equalist attack on the bending arena. Asami read a few contradicting stories, saying the enemy had different weapons available, used a mecha-suit, or could bend platinum. Dozens of sketches were provided of different armor designs, some lean, some bulky, some with ridiculous spikes, and one with a prominent Earth Empire sigil.

_"Where will they strike next? Are you safe? Probably not, but keep buying our papers!"_

She stared at the ragged edges of the wall and rooftop. This was a disaster. The entire south wall of the building had been torn off, most of the steel now lying mangled around the loading area along with the remains of two police airships. It was a miracle no one died.

 _No, not a miracle. Whoever did this, they'd taken the time to restrain the night watch far away from the fight._  

She walked over to Acting-Chief Saikhan, who was inspecting several scraps of platinum nearby.

"Miss Sato, I take it you've looked over what was stolen?"

"Various piping and welding supplies, but it's obvious the _real_ objective was a steam turbine and generator."

"What can that be used for?"

"Well, obviously..."

The Chief frowned at the young engineer. "I mean _unconventional_ uses, Ms. Sato."

"I know what you meant. It's not going to be useable without a boiler and a fuel source. Someone might have an interest in the magnetic components, but nothing used to make it is unique or dangerous on its own. Neither is any of the equipment that was taken with it. The only reason to steal it is to make electricity, but it can't do anything on its own."

_Which means this probably isn't the last attack._

The acting police chief nodded, and walked off, disgruntled.

Asami ran through the scenarios, trying to put things together.

_This metalbender had also attacked relief supplies to the Earth Federation, so how was this connected? If damaging reconstruction was the only goal, this wouldn't accomplish that, the turbines weren't going to be shipped there. And only one was stolen, while the others were left undamaged. They're hurting the Earth Federation, but what if that isn't the actual goal, it's just a consequence of some other plan?  With additional equipment, the generator could be used as a power source, and turned against the new states, which wouldn't be strong enough to fight back without the hardware from the Fire Nation..._

_It could be a strictly economic attack, draining the resources of certain companies. But it certainly isn't mine, nothing else was taken or destroyed, and the warehouse was only damaged in the fight with the police. Was this attack a misdirection? Am I caught up in some kind of bizarrely elaborate insurance fraud?_

_There's not enough information to work with. No reliable mention was made of any symbols the thief wore, no identification._

_Who's attacking whom here?_

She looked over the area one more time. This warehouse wasn't going to be useable for weeks.

_No matter what, one thing's for sure. This is going to hurt our stock._

She looked over the official  _police_ sketch of the criminal, the same one who'd injured Mako.

_Not just some normal metalbender. Someone strong enough to crush anything law enforcement could throw at them._

Her heart sank as she realized who was going to have to fight them eventually.

 

* * *

 

Korra read through through the newspaper as quickly as she could, trying to figure out what to do, while Opal, Bolin, and Ikki loaded up Juicy's saddle.

One detail in the article stood out. "Somebody figured out how to bend platinum?!"

Opal looked at her as Bolin struggled with a crate of medicine. "I don't think those reports are entirely accurate. "  

"I'm so sorry, Opal. Lin and the police were out risking their necks, while I was screwing Asa-" Korra felt a lump in her throat as she looked at the airbenders. "-mi's bolts into her prototype."

Bolin and Opal didn't say anything, instead providing unconvinced looks of amusement and mockery. Ikki glanced back and forth between them, somewhat confused.

"She needed help. With the prototype wings. I can explain in more detail."

Opal continued to stare at her, knowing. "You've got some lipstick on your face."

Korra quickly wiped her face, unsure if there was even anything there. _Hey, that thing about the wings is technically true._ She decided to change the subject. "Are you sure you still want to come, Opal? I'm sure Tenzin will give you time off to take care of Lin."

 _Should_  I _even be going?_

"Aunt Lin doesn't like being seen at her low points. I'll check up on her when we get back, and she's out of the hospital. Besides, Mako and Bolin will be there to look after her, right babe?"

"Oh, yeah, I've got big plans for cheering her up! Varrick lent me a projector and portable screen, so she can watch movers while she heals. Nuktuk Marathon!"

Korra contemplated the situation. She still hadn't had a chance to see Bolin's movers herself, but she'd heard...mixed reactions.

_On the one hand, I don't want Lin to suffer, on the other, this is too funny to ruin._

Bolin and Opal leaned together for their own goodbye kiss. Then another. And another, which continued longer than Ikki or Korra would have preferred.

Ikki finally piped up from the saddle. "Hey! We're ready to go, if you two will _cut that_ _out_. Ugh, it's Jinora and Kai all over again."

"Wait, I need to make one phone call before we leave." Korra dashed back into the temple, knowing Tenzin's office phone was the closest one.

_Come on, pick up..._

"Hello?" Asami's voice came in from the other line.

"Asami! I'm glad I got to you before you left."

Then Korra noticed the sounds of satomobiles coming through the speaker. "Actually, I'm on the road right now."

"You have a phone _in your car_?"

"Yeah, it's got a radio that can receive receive calls that would go to my office whenever I'm driving. I take it you're calling about today's headlines?"

"Yes! Is everything okay?"

"Well...no. Some items were stolen from my warehouse, and I have no idea why."

"Do you want me to stay and help out?"

"As nice as it'd be to keep you in town, you should go on your mission for Tenzin." There was no pause beforehand.

_She must have already thought this through._

"But what if they attack again?"

"If they do, they'll probably attack somewhere you _aren't_. You can't be everywhere, Korra. I'm going to try and figure out what the real goal is, but for now, there are other people who you need to help."

_She's right. As usual._

"Well, if you say so, but-"

An airbending-enhanced shout came from outside. "KORRA YOU GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW OR WE'RE LEAVING WITHOUT YOU." 

_Damn, Ikki's got some lungs on her._

"Asami, I've got to go, but I'll be back in a few days. Be safe."

"You too."

A few minutes later, they were in the air.

 

* * *

 

Bolin got back to the apartment to find Asami waiting outside in her car. "Hey, Asami, uh, Mako's at the hospital, so-"

"Actually, I'm here to talk to you." She displayed the Pai Sho board she'd brought with her. "I wanted to talk. Are you up for a game?"

Bolin hesitated a moment before smiling mischievously. Spending three years and many games with a military genius, an eccentric engineer, and the tactical juggernaut that is Zhu Li had upped his game.

Even Kuvira couldn't keep a straight face the first time he'd beaten her.

"Oh, let's do this."

Asami glanced around the apartment, noticing it was cluttered and rather filthy. Bolin apparently had the same thought. "Sorry about the mess. With so many buildings in disrepair, and on short notice, Mako had to take a one-bedroom place. I'm moving out soon, though."

"You're moving out? You have a job to pay for your own place?"

"Well, sort of. Varrick's paid me a hundred thousand yuans to lavabend him a literal _ton_ of pumice."

Asami set up the board while Bolin brought her some water. But while she was putting down pieces, she was getting visibly frustrated.

_What's going on with her?_

He decided to probe the obvious topic. "So, how are things with Korra?"

 She made the first move before responding. "You were seeing her off, right? How did she seem, to you?"

"Well, she seemed worried about the news, then she ran off to make a phone call, to you, I take it. I'm surprised you let her fly off anyway."

"The new states need help." She said bluntly.

Her tone left him unconvinced. "Aaaaand..."

She looked guilty. "...And after Chief Beifong and the police got so easily beaten, I don't want Korra to fight that metalbender until I've learned more. I want her away from this, until I can put together a plan." 

"Did you tell her that part?"

She looked guiltier. "No."

"Relationships aren't easy, but you  _have_ to communicate. You're worried about her, so tell her. She'll understand."

Asami rapidly took several of his pieces.

" _I know_ , okay?  _I've thought all this through_. It isn't about her not understanding that I worry, it's about her doubting herself and her abilities. She's going to deal with whatever minor crisis is going on in the EF, she's going to come out on top, she'll feel more confident, while I'm going to figure out what that walking metal nightmare is after so we'll have a  _plan_  and can deal with it  _together_ when she gets back, so she doesn't wind up like Lin. Clear?!" 

She immediately regretted the outburst as she looked up to see Bolin shrinking back in his chair. "I-I'm sorry. Korra's been better lately, she's healthy, and strong, and happy, but I don't want her in harms way. And she's still beating herself up over her absence."

"She's the Avatar. She has a dangerous job, Asami. And even forgetting-you know-Korra's _always_ worried about being a great Avatar, and a good person. And no matter what happens she always comes back stronger. Even if it takes her a while..."

"I'm still trying to figure her out without prying, but I don't think this is about recovery. It's about her self-reliance."

"What do you mean?"

"Korra told me everything that happened in the three years she was gone. She kept trying to heal herself, but never got anywhere without others. She needs a win."

"But Korra's the strongest person on the planet! Master of the four elements, spiritual powerhouse. And now she's learning how to lavabend."

"Then why does she keep getting hurt?  _W_ _hy did she have to go through that to win?_ " 

Bolin was at a loss for words.

Asami continued. "I've taken a lot of time to think about how to help her. _A lot of time._ This isn't about raw power, this is about information and tactics. Korra's been hurt, repeatedly, horribly, because we didn't understand what we were up against. We need better plans. We _need the upper hand_ on future enemies, and I won't let her go up against them until I've got it. Otherwise she'll only wind up back in that wheelchair." She moved another piece with a trembling hand. "Or worse."

For the next several minutes they moved their pieces is silence, both of them focusing entirely on the game. Bolin made some headway, taking out Asami's water tiles.

"You can't solve everything, Asami."

Then he lost his gains, his strategy falling apart as Asami got more aggressive.

"Watch me."

Several more minutes passed in silence.

Asami sighed heavily before speaking up. "This is going to be really personal, and you don't have to talk about it, but...how did you deal with your parents dying?"

Bolin felt a lump in his throat.

_All I wanted was a friendly game of Pai Sho._

But his friend needed advice. "I was only six when they were killed. I was scared, and sad, and homeless, but I still had Mako." Asami stared down at the board, but was listening intently. "People die, and it's painful if you love them, but there are other people who love you, too. Wouldn't you rather talk to Korra about this?" 

"Not _everything_ in my life revolves around Korra all of a sudden, okay?" Asami sighed, then managed a smile. "Bolin, I'm sorry, I'm _really_ sorry for being so difficult. This has been...helpful. I just needed someone to talk to."

He smiled back, nodding. "Looking out for the ones we love is never easy, huh? And tell Korra everything.  _Everything._ " She nodded back hesitantly.

Then his smile faded as he looked down, stunned as Asami made one final move. 

"I win."  

 

* * *

 

While Opal explained, once again, the details of their survey and supply objectives to Ikki, Korra was lost in thought.

_How do I make sure this works? What went wrong before?_

 She thought back to her first breakup. To Mako.

_"If we're both putting out jobs first, maybe there's no room for our relationship!"_

She cringed at the memory.

_What'll be different this time?_

Asami's voice came in, from the day she left Republic City to recuperate.

_"Are you sure you don't want some company in the Southern Water Tribe? I'm happy to come with you."_

Korra smiled, and felt very, very lucky, thinking about how she could return that kindness. And she was increasingly regretting going on this mission.

 _It's just a couple days._  

But more thoughts came into her head.

_Yes, and you were only going to be gone two weeks. You knew how she felt, even then, but you didn't-_

She shut everything else out. It was ridiculous. This isn't the same.

_Relax, meditate, think about how to go on. Tell her everything when you get back._

An hour layer, Juicy had flown passed the southern border of the United Republic and into the Earth Federation.

Ikki woke Korra from her daydream, poking her in the shoulder. "Korra, we're almost there!"

The two of them looked down at the remains of deserted military bases beneath them. A few towns, some populated, others deserted, and work camps at their outskirts. They followed a currently-unused maglev line to the capital city.

Opal spoke up, grimly. "Welcome to the state of Shaan." 

 

* * *

 

Asami had planned to head right back to her tower after talking to Bolin, but instead took a detour out to the cemetery.

She's the boss. She could take time away from work when she felt like it.

Rows and and rows of graves stretched into the distance. Near the entrance was the monument dedicated to the soldiers of the United Forces who'd died less than a month ago, still under construction.

_Let her know how much she means to you._

It was a long walk, but soon she reached the two she was looking for.

She felt the force of the ejector launching her from the hummingbird, and then watching the hand of the Colossus crush it.

Her memories reached back further, images flashing of her mother shielding her from a blast of flame.

Dying to protect her.

She could see he bright purple glow tearing apart the city. And seemingly taking Korra with it.

_I won't let that happen again._


	5. Damage Control

A small reception came to meet Korra, Opal, and Ikki, lead by a middle-aged woman in a set of official-looking robes which clearly hadn't seen a tailor in some time, who then ushered them to their seats. "Welcome, Avatar Korra, and the airbenders Opal Beifong and-" She glanced down at the note card in her hand. "-Kiki, to the state if Shaan. I am Governor Choi, current head of state. Please, before we get to work, would you sit down to enjoy a meal with us?"

Korra smiled and bowed along with her companions. "I'd be happy to."

After a few minutes of sampling the local food prepared for them, Korra decided to volunteer herself.

"Goveneror Choi, Tenzin told us your state was projected to suffer from food shortages, and that's why you needed our help."

The older woman nodded. "That is correct. We used to be a rural state, but large areas dedicated to agriculture were repurposed for mining by Kuvira. Soldiers of the Emp- from her army still patrol the area, and after the laborers left-"

"Escaped." Opal interjected, suddenly giving their host a quick glare before going back to her food.

"-Uh, yes, well we don't have any more metal to export in exchange for food. given a few months, we can revitalize our farmland, but we can't make it that long with our current supplies."

"So you need our help to get by. I can help you repair your infrastructure pretty quickly." Korra obliged, trying to gloss over Opal's bluntness.

"Excellent! Well, as the governor of Shaan-"

Opal interrupted again. "I seem to recall the governor of this state being a woman by the name of Kim before a short time ago."

The governor looked away for a moment, fiddling with her food. "Kuvira was dissatisfied with her work."

"And you were more in line with what she wanted from this state?"

Ikki inturrupted this time. "That means you were reporting to Kuvira, right?"

The governor's nervousness was turning into irritation. "Yes. She appointed me to this position."

Opal spoke up yet again. "I take it ex-governor Kim wasn't willing to bow before Kuvira. Wonder what happened to her. Still, it doesn't surprise me that most people would want nothing to do with that army." 

Ikki turned and glared at Opal. "Hey, there were plenty of nice people in Kuvira's army!"

"Like who?"

"Shen and Dayi, the soldiers who showed me where to find Korra. We're pen pals now. Dayi works on a farm."

Korra pulled Opal away, talking quietly while Ikki asked the attending officials about everything from logistics to population distribution. "Opal, I know how much you hated the empire, but we came to help these people, not to antagonize them."

"Of course I'm going to help them any way I can. I'm also not going to put up with _bullshit_."

Korra turned back, listening to Ikki talk the ears off of everyone else in the room. "So, our bison, Juicy, is carrying a ton of seeds to aid reconstruction efforts. _A literal ton_. Korra can take care of most of the roadwork repairs pretty easily, but the irrigations network will probably require her to go a bit slower to precisely carve out the channel sizes. Plus, she can go into the Avatar State to get everything done faster!"

Korra thought to herself about how much Ikki's pace had slowed down in the last three years.

Clearly stressed by the airbenders' probing and arguing, Choi turned to Korra. "Avatar Korra, if we could please get right to the point, I've put together several objectives which will help our state endure until we can reach self-sufficiency again." She cocked an eyebrow at her guests. "Shall we get to work?"

  

* * *

 

The UF task force surveyed the last recorded position of the _Heikegani_ before contact was lost. General Iroh read their last transmission, and the  _Isonade's_ heading: to the heart of the United Republic.

_They could have changed course to throw us off their real destination, but that would waste energy they wouldn't have if they needed to surface to begin with._

His instincts told him Republic City would be involved in some way.

It usually was.

He brought up his radio. After a moment of waiting, a familiar, authoritative voice came from the speaker. "General Iroh, how goes the search?"

"Fire Lord Izumi, we may have a lead on our target, but there's still no contact with the _Heikegani._ It's possible the ship has been destroyed."

"Hm. Have you found any evidence of this? Remains of the ship?"

"No, that's what concerns me. We haven't received any contact from them at all."

"In that case, keep searching. It'd be a shame if you were to another ship, honey."

_Honey?_

Realization hit Iroh, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew what was coming. "Teraza?"

The calm, collected voice of a ruler turned to mocking tone of a young woman. "Heeeeeeeeyyyy, Uncle Iroh. Wow, the United Forces really should invest in some better speakers for your radios. My impression of grandma isn't  _that_ good."

"Stop. Intercepting. My calls."

"Stop. Making it. So easy."

"Where's Fire Lord Izumi?"

"She's out on one of her walks. So, got any other leads on our missing submarine?"

"How the fu-how do you know about all this?"

He could practically  _hear_ her smirking at him through the radio. "Seriously? Of course _I_  know about it. All that money had to be going somewhere, and I wouldn't stop bothering grandma until she filled me in. _Honestly,_ first you try to hand over military hardware to regents appointed by a dictator currently on her way to be tried for war crimes, and now you go and lose the most advanced piece of military hardware on the planet." Iroh heard slow, sarcastic clapping through the speaker.

"We didn't lose it, it was _taken_."

"Oh, wonderful, so instead of lying in a wreck at the bottom of the ocean and wasting billions, it's in the hands of spirits-know-who."

Iroh couldn't decide which was worse, taking verbal abuse from a teenager, or the fact that she was right.

After waiting a moment to let him scold himself-because she _knew_  that's what he was doing-Teraza started up again. "Any idea when you're going to be at the capital again? It'd be nice to have someone cheerful like you around."

_There's no time for this._

But Teraza spoke before he could tell her to grow up. "In addition to a stolen ship and a crippled base, now our enemy may have destroyed an entire battleship. Any ideas on who might be able to do that? Some remnant of that warlord Chan's forces?"

 _So, she's not treating everything as a joke today._ _Nice change of pace, but still not her concern._

"This is a military matter. Don't worry about it. Tell the Fire Lord to contact me as soon as she's back." His voice became a bit more affectionate. "I'll be home as soon as I can, Teraza." He ended the transmission before she could get the last word in.

* * *

 

Korra looked through the repair projects Governor Choi had assigned to her, or, as Opal put it, "chores". Earthbending roads back into shape, clearing obstructions to river flows, burning nests of crow-wasps that had taken up residence in untended farmland. To help with the reconstruction of local agriculture, she'd started digging up new irrigation channels to the nearby river.

With the Avatar State ready, it was all a cinch. In fact, she found herself more willing to go into it than usual.

_Massive amounts of energy at my disposal. And I'm not fighting anyone with it._

_No one is trying to kill me for it._

Ikki and Opal took on relatively mundane tasks, like distributing some special medicine to local doctors, occasionally stopping to help Korra airbend debris out of her way. The people gradually came out to take a look at the new arrivals to their town. Ikki in particular was enjoying showing off airbending tricks for the kids who'd come out, spinning random objects in her hands and boosting herself across the roofs of houses.

But the majority of the attention was on Korra. After a short while, most of the city had gathered to watch her work, cheering as what would have taken weeks of work was accomplished in a few hours.

_If I'd been here for them years ago, it wouldn't have been this bad._

_No, no, let yourself have this._

Korra smiled and waved back to the townspeople as she carved another path into the earth, water flowing towards some newly sown farmland.

All just in time for a quartet of Earth Empire mecha suits to appear, shooting blasts of flame in the general direction of the crowd as a warning.

Korra, Opal, and Ikki leapt between the mechas and the citizens, most of whom were now fleeing straight to their homes or just taking cover to watch whatever happens. The airbenders took stances, ready to deflect any more flames away from the town, as Korra stepped forward.

A speaker on the lead suit started blasting commands to the cowering populace. "Attention citizens of Shaan! Return to your homes immediately! All equipment here is now property of the Earth Empire Army!"

Korra was about to strike, but held off and took a more casual, relaxed stance.  _Talk to them first._

"There isn't any equipment here." She sait bluntly.

The suits stood motionless for a moment. "What do you mean, there isn't? A shipment of hardware and raw materials should have arrived here days ago!"

"It's stuck in Republic City." She shrugged. "Sorry to disappoint you."

The domes of the suits moved in their sockets, looking around at the town and at each other, obviously unsure what to do now. The train station didn't look like it had seen any traffic in weeks, and there wasn't anywhere to hide all the supplies they'd been expecting. It took a moment for the leader worked up the nerve to talk again in light of their blunder. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Avatar."

The suits all took a few steps back, the commander getting ready to deploy weapons, the other three throwing up their arms. "Woah, we don't want to fight you!" said the one in the back, as the others turned around to look at him. "What, we don't, right?"

_Please listen to him._

"Then go back where you came from."

The lead pilot hesitated, then signaled the others, and all four turned around to march back towards the southern mountain range.

Korra exhaled deeply as her companions stepped forward, Ikki smiling at Korra while Opal glared at the soldiers in the distance. "We should have taken them out. It won't be that easy when they come back."

Ikki threw her fists down. "Korra had it under control! They didn't hurt anyone!"

Opal gave her a side eye. "No, they just started firing off flamethrowers for fun. And we can't stay and guard this place forever."

"Opal, I get what you're saying, but look where we are." Korra gestured to the citizens of the town, who were now scattering away from the station. "Do we really want to start a battle with everyone around? To frighten everyone, and probably level a decent chunk of the city?"

"They're frightened because those bullies are wandering around in heavy armor ready to incinerate them!"

"And we'll do something about it. When innocent people _aren't_ in harm's way. We'll call the United Forces outpost in the neighboring states. If they return, we'll have backup."

Opal scowled, but turned towards Korra. "Fine. But we're not leaving this state until those suits are destroyed. Preferably with those soldiers still in them." She started unfolding the wings of her suit. "I'm going to radio the UF. Finish your work here and meet me back at the capitol building."

 

* * *

 

Back in the derelict base, Colonel Hsaio glared at the returning mecha suit pilots.

"What do you mean _nothing was there?_ There should have been a cache of fuel and mining equipment!"

"I'm sorry, colonel, but none of the shipments made it through. We didn't find anything."

Hsaio massaged his temples, thinking over the loss of more fuel for the suits on a mission intended to bolster their supplies.

The captain reluctantly raised his hand to get the commanding officer's attention. "Sir, there's another problem. The Avatar is at the capital." 

Hsaio's burried his face in his hands. " _Of course she is._ "

"Should we lay low?"

But the Colonel thought for a moment, before an idea struck him. "No. No, we can take advantage of this. Make sure the mech suits are fueled. Tomorrow, we're going to start reclaiming the Earth Empire."

 

* * *

 

The three guests got ready to rest up for the night. The room provided was cramped, but it had the right number of beds and as many amenities as were available. While Ikki washed up, Korra meditated on her bed and Opal sat staring out the window overlooking the courtyard where Juicy was sleeping. And oozing.

Korra opened her eyes. "Opal, can I ask you something?"

"About what?"

"It's Asami."

She turned away from the window. "Really? You want to talk about relationships  _now?_ "

"We've got time."

"Well, first bit of advice, seeing as this nearly destroyed my relationship with Bolin: if she tells you you're in the service of a brutal dictator, _listen to her._ Communication is key. But it can also be really complicated, especially if you don't have much time together because you're busy upholding a fascist regime expanding across the continent."

"I'll...be sure to do that. It's more like I just want to spend enough time with her, and to get along. She's the only person I've been in a relationship with other than Mako, and I don't want to mess things up the same way."

Opal glanced away and mumbled under her breath. "Muscles like yours, I bet she feels the same..."

"What?"

"Nothing. So, you're _already_ worried about things falling apart. Why, exactly? You two are great for each other!"

Korra smiled briefly in light of Opals confidence, but it turned back to concern. "That's what I used to think about me and Mako."

"Uh huh, well, I wasn't around to see that, and whenever I asked Bolin he acts like watching it was agonizing and says it 'wreaked of hormones', so I don't know exactly what went wrong there." Opal said, face scrunching up in confusion.

"I just don't want being the Avatar to get in the way of _us._ "

"You've both got demanding jobs, Korra."

"But putting work ahead of each other is part of why Mako and I broke up. Along with getting on each other's nerves."

"That's an issue of time management, and frankly, I'd have much more confidence in Asami than in Mako. You two just need to make the most of the time you spend together. And maybe you could ask Jinora to teach you how to project your spirit so physical distance isn't a problem. It's worked well for her and Kai."

"But how can I make sure things will work?"

Ikki popped out of the bathroom, having been eavesdropping on the conversation. "You should show her how much you love her by using your earthbending to build a giant statue of her towering over Republic City. Carve it out of one of the mountains. Or _all_ of the mountains!"

_Well, she had a hand in that statue of me in the park..._

"I'll think about it. It's definitely an improvement over your old plan of love potions and sky castles." 

Ikki paused for a moment, running through her memories before figuring out what Korra was talking about. "First of all, that was four years ago, why do you even remember that? Second, between your bending and Asami's engineering, you two could probably _build that sky castle_. I'll help as long as I get to live there too. And we can keep Meelo out. Mom, Dad, and Rohan can come, and so can Jinora if she doesn't have Kai with her."

Korra chuckled to herself as Ikki pouted and Opal stared in confusion, trying to decipher the inside joke for a minute before giving up and reentering the conversation. "Korra, you've been dating Asami less than two weeks. Ask me for help when you have an _actual problem_." She started gesturing vaguely. "If you're a good match, just spend time together, then you'll both realize how great you are together, and if you have problems in your relationship, your girlfriend's a genius, let her find a solution and do whatever she says." 

Korra nodded, feeling a bit better. "Thanks, both of you." She laid down on her bed, and was quickly began to doze off. But the older airbender woke her and Ikki right back up.

"Hold on. There's one more thing we need to talk about. I don't trust Choi, I know, what a shock, but we should keep to ourselves from now on. We stay within sight of each other, no more eating any food they offer, and keep on the lookout for anything strange."

"That sounds paranoid." Ikki said. "Do you really think we're in danger here?"

"We _should_ be paranoid. And yes, we're vulnerable, and in enemy territory. Even if we _can_ trust the regular citizens and the state government, you can bet with a base nearby some spies for the military were placed in the town, and they may still be there. Especially if there's an active EE presence."

"You're really combative for an airbender" Ikki noted. "We're here to help these people, not start another fight. Those were soldiers, not bandits."

"Oh, of course, I must have gotten a bit confused when they showed up and tried to steal from the town."

"No, Opal's right. We stick to our own food, keep our doors locked, eyes open. We won't be here much longer." Korra turned between her two friends. "Okay?"

Both nodded, then retired to their bunks.

Korra laid back down, and it took her about three hours of tossing, turning, and thinking to finally fall asleep.

 

* * *

 

Asami checked through inventory after inventory, trying to figure out the enemy's plan. Mecha suits, cranes, tractors, hummingbirds, EMPs, forklifts, dozens of other pieces of equipment were sitting useless in Full Moon bay, and not going anywhere as everyone with money invested argued over how to get them out, what to do with the ships, who has authority in the matter, on and on. Fortunately, Future Industries had already received payment for its products  _before_  delivery. She'd have to provide a bonus to whoever had worked out those deals.

 _Maybe the goal isn't to keep everything_ away _from the EF, but to keep the items_  in  _Republic City. But there's no way to get them all out, and if it's a specific component they need, the metalbender already proved they can handle moving heavy machinery, so why the delay?_

She looked back at one of the radio transmitters she'd manufactured. Small, cheap, long battery life, and one of them was currently concealed within every boiler, pump, or other piece of equipment compatible with the turbine currently stocked by Future Industries. But they wouldn't do much good transmitting through a body of water, and police boats hadn't been able to figure out where the criminal had vanished to after escaping into the bay.

Plus, she didn't have a monopoly. Someone else could get robbed.

The official design of the metalbender had finally been released by the police, plastered across the front page of every newspaper.

_Where did you go?_

And there was still no connection between the two attacks that she could figure out.

 _Are they working for more than one person? Are they some kind of mercenary?_  

She looked over destinations. Shaan was one of the states due to receive the aid, which is part of why Korra and the others had been rerouted there. A former Earth Empire stronghold, peppered with bases and labor camps. Probably infested with disgruntled, if mediocre soldiers who were reassigned under whatever governing body had been set up, or just camping out aimlessly. And none too happy Korra had deposed their emperor.

_She can handle regular troops. Don't worry._

Asami shut the fear out of her head, went back to reading the latest accounts of the disaster with the police.

_An armored suit impervious to fire and lightning, yet highly malleable, and operated by a master of earth and metalbending able to nullify attacks of those elements. Agile enough to avoid waterbending strikes, and capable of rapidly deploying weapons to defeat platinum countermeasures. Artifical arms as well, at the very least, which don't feel pain. Plating thick enough to provide considerable protection to all obvious vulnerable spots._

_By all indications, practically invincible._

She started jotting down possible weaknesses.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This little detour into the Earth Federation has been the most difficult to write, because it's necessary to show the impact of some of the other parts of the story and to include some foreshadowing, but it took me a while to figure out what the actual conflict for this part would even be. It's coming together. Also, introducing Teraza, future Fire Lord, and the second most sarcastic character in the entire story. 
> 
> Leave comments. They sustain me. I mean it, this is my first published fanfic sans a very weird one-shot crossover I made in an hour, I need feedback. Criticize confusing writing choices. Tell me things. Ask me things. Point out spelling and grammatical errors. Your choice.


	6. Uninvited Guests

The next morning, Korra stood at the outskirts of the town, trying to turn a plot of earth into lava while Ikki and Opal unpacked some rations for themselves. Expansion, compression, kicking, pounding, no range of motion was doing anything. 

_C'mon, dirt, melt!_

_Wow, that sounded weird even **in** my head._

She grabbed a clump of loose dirt in her hand. It felt warmer. A little bit. Maybe.

Governor Choi approached her, apparently in a very good mood. "Avatar Korra, won't you join us for breakfast?"

_Okay, you already came up with a reason._

"No, thank you. Also, we'll be leaving any rations we have left over with you, since we can resupply with the United Forces to get more. It isn't much, but it'll keep a few people fed."

"Oh-oh, well, that's very generous of you." She smiled politely."While we have enough water for irrigation now, there's a well which provides very high quality water, but it was damaged in an earthquake a few weeks ago. If you would be so kind, we'd like your help repairing it. "

Korra nodded, eager to get back to work, and headed to the damaged well. She got a firm stance and got a hold on the obstructions, dragging out one clump of earth after another.

Eventually, after forming a sizable mound of earth, she could hear groundwater percolating into the hole.

_Nearly done._

Ikki appeared in front of her. "Korra, are you done finally? There wasn't anything interesting in there was there? Just rocks? Okay. That means we can move on to Yi, right!"

"Yeah, almost-"

Korra paused, and put her hand to the ground. She felt it trembling. Steady, rhythmic, and getting louder.

 

* * *

 

Mako rushed through the hospital, trying to work in the visit before his shift. Unfortunately, many of the hospital staff hadn't come in yet, and getting access to the chief had taken more time than he'd expected. Without thinking, he tread over a newly-cleaned patch of the floor. "Oh, sorry..." He said to the janitor, but she ignored him, slapping the mop down and continuing to wipe up the new dirt without comment.

He walked into the hospital room to see Lin still in bed, while Suyin sat in a chair next to her, reading a book. The setup for the movers took up much of the room, but Lin didn't seem to mind. In fact, she was watching the screen  _intently_.

"Hey, Chief, so how's-"

His boss held up her hand, signaling him to be quiet, then lowered it after staring slack-jawed at the projector screen for a minute or so. "The doctors-JUJI NO-say that I can be discharged tomorrow. Though I shouldn't get right back to work." She scoffed at the thought, and still hadn't taken her eyes off the action.

"...I see you're enjoying Bolin's gift."

"Yes," She said, punching the air in conjunction with the Hero of the South. "It's made lying around a lot more pleasant. Y'know, my niece is pretty lucky. Your brother has some damn fine pecs."

After taking a moment to come to terms with the fact he could never unhear that sentence, **ever** , Mako observed his boss spacing out for another few minutes before he leaned in and whispered to Suyin. " _What have they been giving her?_ "

" _The good stuff_." she whispered back, chuckling as her sister started tearing up at the hug between Nuktuk, Juji, and Roh-Tan.

Su stood up and pulled Mako out into the hall.

"If there's something to talk about, I'll probably make better convseration. How are you? Healing up well?" 

"Oh, I'm fine. Mostly. I came to keep an eye on the Chief, but it seems like she's feeling better. Well, sort of. As good as she gets."

"Ha! Trust me, she never gets _that_ good. I wonder if I could get her some of that medication for personal use..."

"I'm pretty sure that's illegal."

"Shouldn't be. It sure isn't in Zaofu! So, I take it the rest of the force sent you to check on Lin?"

"No, no one sent me, I wanted to make sure she's-" The words were barely out of his mouth before Su had him in a hug, thankfully avoiding his bad arm.

"Oh, you have no idea how glad I am to know Lin has someone in this city looking out for her without it being their job. She's always been such a loner. I'm especially glad it's you, seeing as you're practically family already."

"Family?" 

"Well don't act so surprised. Bolin and Opal seem to be going strong, in spite of everything that happened recently."

"Speaking of, I'm not the only person close to your sister. L-Chief Beifong thinks highly of her niece."

"I know, but Opal's usually off flying around the world, helping people. You're a daily part of Lin's life."

"Doesn't that worry you? Opal, I mean. At least Bolin and I are together when we're in danger, watching each other's backs."

"I have complete confidence in my daughter. Besides, she's been on dozens of missions to states in worse shape, and Korra's with her this time. What's the worst that'll happen?"

 

* * *

 

About thirty mech suits and five tanks were on their way across the plain to the capital.

Korra turned to Opal. "How long until UF reinforcements get here?"

"Another two hours."

"I though there was a maglev straight to the next state!"

"There  _is_ , but their rails are damaged in several places." Opal groaned and ran her hands back through her hair. "It's one of the things we were supposed to check on, or with your help, fix at the next stop."

Korra sized up the approaching war machines.  _I can handle the flamethrowers, but I can't bend the lightning from their cannons. And I don't even know what those tanks can do._

Alongside her, Choi stared in horror. "We were supposed to receive a few electro-somethings to deal with holdouts or anyone who'd stolen military tech, but they're-"

"They're stuck in Republic City, right, of course," Korra finished.

A few dozen meters from the town, the army stopped. A young looking man in an Earth Empire uniform drove up in a jeep between a pair of black painted mecha suits.

Choi scowled at the sight of him, which Korra noticed. "You know him?"

"Hsaio. He grew up here, he was put in command of the army here, and he did a lousy job of it even when he had Kuvira to hold his hand. Watch yourself. He's a mediocre earthbender, but he's temperamental."

He pulled out a megaphone. "Governor Choi, as an officer of the Earth Empire, I order you to surrender this city and the Avatar to us!"

The older woman took a moment to process the order, and burst out laughing. " _This_  is you plan?" She waved her arm in Korra's direction. "You want her, here she is. Come get her!"

Hsaio jerked back and forth between Korra and the official. "You were supposed to drug her!"

_Drug me?_

Korra turned to the governor. "What is he talking about?"

Ikki seemed scared by what was happening, while Opal was cautiously pulling her by the arm towards Korra, glaring at the older woman.

The governor scoffed. "These morons wanted me to knock you and the airbenders out to try use you as leverage in some stupid scheme to get Kuvira released. I told them no, but I didn't think they'd have the guts to come here to face you when I refused."

"And you didn't mention this because..."

"I get called up on the radio by these bozos a couple times a week. They never actually _do_ anything except sulk in their little base!"

Hsaio was taken aback. "That's not-"

"Oh, shove it you little bully. The empire's finished. I'm done taking orders from any of you. And by the way, you can't intimidate someone who remembers when you were a snot-nosed little brat." 

"You should be intimidated! I have an army!"

"Yeah, so did a lot of people. Better armies than this one have lost to the Avatar."  She turned to watch Korra confidently stepping forward to face the enemy, while Opal and Ikki were looking a lot less worried. "Hey, airbenders! I know you're all about nonviolence and whatnot, but I think you're friend could use a little help."

Opal nodded approvingly, then turned back to Ikki. "Stay behind Korra and me."

Driving away, Hsaio spoke into a radio. "Fire first volley!"

The tanks at the rear launched dozens of artillery stones, aerodynamic earthen casings contain high explosives propelled by earthbending tank operators. Watching them arc through the air, Korra rushed forward to counter.

"Opal! Ikki!"

"On it!" They said in unison.

All three airbent together to propel the strength of a hurricane against the oncoming ballistics.

Traveling into the torrent, the missiles were pushed back and fell inside the enemy formation. The airbenders damped out the shock waves before they could hit village, while the suits near the explosion were knocked to the ground, damaged by stone ballistics. Most of the other mech suits stumbled around through the resulting dust cloud, the viewports on their domes obscured by dirt. The tanks held their fire out of fear they'd make things even worse, and the few suits which were still in good condition stood their ground, unsure what to do with the formation falling apart but unable to help their fellows with their clumsy mechanical hands.

After damaged hydraulics left one mecha unable to steady itself, wobbling around uncontrollably, its pilot abandoned her suit and puked into the grass.

Korra, Opal, Ikki, Choi, and Hsaio watched and gaped at the blundering for a minute as the dust settled.

"This is...kinda sad," said Opal, lowering her guard, all the fury she'd felt a moment before dissolving away. "I guess Kuvira really brought all her best troops to invade the republic, because...wow." She looked at Korra. "Um, should we help them?"

"Pfft, no," said Choi scornfully, turning to go back inside. "Make sure those idiots don't break anything, would you? I'll be back with some drinks for us. I want to watch this in style."

The colonel futilely barked orders at his troops. "Turned on the wipers! This is-" He remembered he was holding the megaphone. "-THIS IS BASIC MECHA SUIT OPERATION!" He turned back and pointed at Korra momentarily, red in the face at the humiliation of his force. "This isn't over, Avatar!" 

Then he winced as he felt the impact of another of the suits falling over behind him. 

Korra remained unfazed. "It looks pretty over to me." 

But the officer ignored her, pulling out a radio and turning from her to speak into it. Korra got back on the defensive again, ready for anything.

_Oh, great, what's he trying to do now?_

After a moment of waiting while everyone looked around, staring impatiently at each other, an airship descended from the cloud layer. Korra was surprised at first, but quickly went back to being unimpressed. Rather than the sleek, streamlined design from Zaofu, it was one of the piece-of-junk Cabbage Corps ships.

_Let's see, control systems are at the front section of the ship, and if memory serves, they aren't very durable._

Korra reached out to sense the earth within the metal, and with one motion of her hand, she tore off the plating from the front of the ship, then lofted a boulder into the exposed internals. The airship lost control and plummeted out of the sky before it could do whatever Hsaio had called it in for, landing right on top of several now-abandoned mecha suits. The only reason the crew weren't killed by the force of the impact was Korra bending the airship's metal to slow their descent.

Korra heard Choi laughing behind her, sipping one of several cups of tea she'd come back with, Opal and Ikki flanking her with their own.

"Do you have any lemon?" asked Ikki, as Choi handed her a slice, still chuckling at the spectacle. Opal took one too.

Hsaio was practically foaming at the mouth by this point, eyes darting across the battlefield and the dismal state of his forces, and finally decided to enter the fight himself, deciding _to take Korra on_.

Realizing he wasn't going to win that fight before even throwing the first stone, he ignored Korra and started launching boulders onto the village, most of them falling onto random buildings.

But one hit a target.

"IKKI!" Opal yelled, trying in vain to move the rock crushing the younger airbender's arm as she screamed and writhed in pain.

With an upward swing of her arm, Korra freed Ikki, and sent the chunk of earth flying into the air. A downward thrust had it flying back at the colonel, beating him back down into the ground and leaving him covered in dirt and bits of rock.

Korra's eyes glowed.

Thousands of gallons of water was drawn out of the well, spread across the battlefield, and condensed around the mechs, seeping inside and into their internal circuitry.

Colonel Hsaio stumbled to his feet, staring in shock as the mech suits shorted out, one by one, irreparably damaged and collapsing into heaps. 

Another flash of light came from Korra's eyes, and with one stomp to the ground, the suits and tanks sunk into the earth, barely exposed enough to allow their pilots to get out. 

Korra looked back over the battlefield, the light leaving her eyes, and then turned back to Hsaio. " _Now_  it's over. You are going to surrender any remaining military equipment to the United Forces, and all of you are going to stand down. Understood?"

The colonel could only bow his head, meekly brushing off the dirt as he turned to collect his disorganized troops.

 

* * *

 

A few hours later, the local doctor, Hu, finished inspecting his handiwork. "Well, that ought to do it for the cast. Try not to jerk it around too much, all right, little lady?"

"Will she be okay?" asked Korra.

"Yeah, am I going to be okay? I'm not going to lose my arm, am I? It still hurts. It hurts really bad. Korra why can't your waterbending fix this completely? I can't airbend like this! My suit won't work with one arm, either! I can't let Meelo see me like this, I'm so close to getting my tattoos before him, I can't show weakness now!" In spite of the doctor's orders, and everyone else's orders, Ikki simply refused to stay still.

"Ikki, Ikki, calm down, you'll be fine." She turned to the doctor. "She'll be fine, right?"

"Yep." he said as he packed up the last of his materials.

Korra inspected the arm herself. "I've put everything back in place, but it'll need time to heal on it's own."

Opal came to the bedside, too. "Ikki, I'm so sorry this happened."

"There's got to be something else we can do. Dad's never going to let me go on a mission again if he sees I got hurt!"

"Sorry Ikki, but you're gonna have to stay out of the action for a while. Rest here for a bit, we'll be heading back to Republic City soon." said Korra as she and Opal walked out into the hallway.

"I'm glad she'll be okay." Opal smiled dissonantly, nervously running her fingers through her hair. "Well, I'm fired."

"Can-is that something that can happen?"

"It  _will_  be once Tenzin sees this."

"I don't think Tenzin is going to kick you out of the Air Nation."

Opal was struggling to control her breathing, running through every possible awful consequence of the day. "I hope you're right. I don't want to have to move back in with my parents."

"Try to keep perspective here. Like remembering who's the injured one."

"Right. I know. I know. It's not as bad as it could be. Heh, it's a good thing  _you_  weren't the one hurt. Forget Tenzin,  _Asami_  is the one I should be scared of."

Korra crossed her arms. "What's  _that_  supposed to mean?"

Opal ignored the question, starting to ramble while pacing around the hallway. "I never had this problem when I was partnered with Kai. I didn't have to worry about him, he's Jinora's delinquent boyfriend, Tenzin was never concerned when we came back roughed up, but he just  _had_  to run off to the Northern Temple." She desperately grabbed Korra by her collar. "You've gotta help me. Can't you make her heal any faster? What would happen if you used your healing in the Avatar State? That would supercharge it or something, right?"

"That's-NO, Opal, calm down, everything's going to be okay. I'll explain what happened to Tenzin with you, all right?"

The airbender nodded nervously, and headed outside back to her bison. A short time later, with Ikki safe to move to Juicy's saddle, Korra and Opal loaded up their luggage and prepared to leave. 

Everyone in town was surrounding the capitol building, waiting to see them off, Choi at the front of the crowd. "Heading out, I see. I'm sorry your first visit to our humble state proved to be so...eventful." 

Opal was conflicted for a moment, then dropped down to the ground. "Thanks for standing up to the army." She shook the governor's hand. "You were in a tough position, but you didn't sell us out."

Choi nodded. "It wasn't _that_ tough a position. And thank  _you_ for calling in the bigger stick."

"Will you be all right until your farms are back in shape?" asked Korra.

"Thanks to you, it will be difficult, but we'll get by with what we have. Plus, I've sent a few people to check out that newly-abandoned base for any supplies. I'd stake my position on the troops having hoarded quite a bit of consumables."

"Good luck, governor."

"Thank you, for everything." The governor bowed.

Korra bowed back as Opal leapt back up and took the reigns.

"Yip yip!"

As they rose into the air, Korra took one last look at the waving crowd.

 

* * *

 

An hour later, they were well on their way back to the United Republic, Opal frustratedly flying through the northern mountain ranges, Ikki looking over her shoulder while Korra sat at the back of the saddle, watching the madness.

_We're not far away from home, I only need to stop them from killing each other for a little longer._

"And I told you  _not all_  Earth Empire soldiers were evil. I didn't say they were all great."

"Of course. And I'll be sure to explain that to Master Tenzin along with why you came back with a broken arm after your first relief mission."

"Oh, you're right, you have it so rough, the only way that trip could have been worse is if _you got you arm crushed under a rock!_ "

Opal struggled to come up with something to say. "I'm sorry. But I'm _really_ not looking forward to facing your dad, all right? He isn't as serene as he likes to think, especially when it comes to family." She turned away and stared into the distance. "I barely made it through basic training. I don't want to know what'll happen if he's actually  _mad_  at me."

"Maybe you'll be assigned to work with Uncle Bumi. You'd make a great partner for him."

Opal's guilt and sympathy were fading away, fast. "Now you're being insulting."

"You're outfit's insulting!"

" _We're wearing the same uniform!_ "

" _MINES GOT A SLING TO GO WITH IT!_ "

Juicy sputtered and bellowed at them to shut up. They'd been going at it like this for the last twenty minutes. Right on top of his head.

_I wonder what sky bison think about while people sit on their backs, talking. And screaming._

_Now, dilemma of the hour, do I surprise Asami, or call ahead?_

A minute later, her two companions were bickering again.

_Call ahead it is. I need better conversation than this._

The new sky bison saddles were another piece of equipment Future Industries had made for the Air Nation, including dedicated storage space, more flexible materials, and tethers to hold in anyone who would rather not risk being thrown off during intense maneuvers. Along with a long-distance radio built into it, which Korra was currently fiddling with, setting it to the frequency she'd been given.

_Come on, pick up..._

Asami's voice came through the speaker. "Korra? Is that you?"

"Yep! We're in the air, how's the reception on your end?"

"Great, of course. Who do you think helped design that saddle? So, how's the mission going?"

"Well, the stop in Shaan was a success. Sort of. With all the repairs I made to the infrastructure, they'll get by. And we're coming back early."

"Korra, that's wonderful!" Korra paused a second as her girlfriend put the facts together.  "Well, wait, nice as this is to hear, why are you coming back?"

"Eeeeehhhh, it's not all good news. Ikki's arm was broken in a fight with an EE holdout. Tenzin wouldn't want us going on with her injured."

"Oh, no. Is she okay?"

"Her bones were broken pretty badly. We got her medical treatment, she just needs a few more waterbending sessions and time."

"Give her my best." 

An idea popped into Korra's head. "You got it." She turned around to interrupt the still-arguing airbenders, shouting so both Ikki and Asami could hear. "Hey Ikki, Asami said wh- _if_  we have to amputate your arm, she'll build you a new one out of pneumatic pistons! It'll be great!" Korra smiled at the sound of laughter coming through the radio, while Ikki pouted at her, unamused. "So, how's your investigation coming?"

The laughter stopped abruptly and Asami groaned through the speaker. "I can't find any leads or connections. There have been no new thefts, so no need to worry, you didn't missed anything exciting."

Korra breathed a sigh of relief away from the receiver, then noticed the dimming indicator light.

"I'm gonna have to go. Shaan didn't have any means of recharging the radio, so the battery is nearly drained." She may have been imagining it, but off in the distance Korra thought she could see the pillar of light coming from the Spirit Portal standing out against the blue sky.

"I'll be sure to fix that next time. They shouldn't run out of power that fast."

“It's not a big problem. Juicy's moving full speed, so we should be back in Republic City within the hour. I only wanted to let you know we were coming. Goodbye, Asami. See you soon.” 

"See you soon."

 

* * *

 

Asami turned off the radio, and stared out across Republic City. She stood at the window for a long time, thinking, watching the sun set as the glow of the portal began to outweigh the twilight.

_Korra isn't hurt at all. She's okay. She's going to be okay. The day is saved, and I've got a plan._

Asami was practically shaking with glee.

_She's feeling great and she won and we can take this freak down. Everything's in place, all I need to do now is wait for them to expose themselves._

_It'll all be okay._

A low, monotone voice spoke up behind her, reverberating within a metal helmet.

“Asami. I hope I haven’t come at an inopportune time, but I need to speak to you.”

Her smile vanished as she turned around to see a black and grey suit of armor in the middle of her office.

_Oh what the fuck._

Asami didn't even hesitate, dashing to her desk, but before her hand reached the drawer her electrified glove was stored in, the intruder’s own hand detached and intercepted Asami’s shoulder. She was slammed back into the wall, pinned and gritting her teeth in pain as the hold tightened. Holding so tight she could feel her bones were on the verge of fracturing. No matter how she struggled in the bender’s disembodied grip, the steel was unyielding, fingers digging into her shoulder.

She could only watch as the other hand extended across her desk and into the drawer, removing her glove and pulling it back to them. The intruder held it for a moment, looked it over as if critiquing the design, then effortlessly crushed it. Pieces of wiring and plating fell to the floor, the green casings cracked apart, then the useless device was tossed back onto her desk.

After she stopped fighting, the metalbender released the hold on her, hand retracting back into its socket while Asami listened to the recoiling cables.

 _The spools for the cables aren't attached to the back like metalbending officers, they're_ inside _the arms, functioning as replacement limbs. Interesting._

After a moment of staring at the metalbender, waiting for some indication of why they were here, Asami steadied and sat down in her chair, composing herself in spite of the aching in her shoulder. If they-no, there’s no mistaking that voice, if  _she_  wanted to really hurt her, she’d have done it already.

The armored woman spoke in an apathetic tone, no noticeable inflection. “I’m disappointed in you. Of Korra’s allies, I came to you because I expected you were weak enough to be unable to harm me, and intelligent enough to know not to try.”

_We'll see._

“If you want to keep acting like you have the advantage, you should know calling me weak isn’t very prudent, either. I've fought people like you before.”

“No. You haven't.”

Asami fidgeted slightly, thinking back to the battle at her warehouse. This woman had taken down Chief Beifong and her best officers, and she’d done it alone. As much as she hated to admit it, she wasn’t going to win this with force. “All right, you want something from me, I’m all ears. So, what are you here for? Going to kidnap me to try and get to Korra? Or is it something less obvious, like needing my engineering skills for some nefarious purpose? Your own mini-hummingbird to strap to your back? Or is it cold, hard cash you’re after?”

While talking, Asami glanced around her office, trying to come up with a plan to either incapacitate the intruder or call someone for help. She’d already triggered the silent alarm, but her intuition told her it had already been sabotaged if the metalbender was bold enough to show up in her office out of the blue. There was no way to make a call unnoticed. If the police account of the fight was accurate, her glove wouldn’t have been any use anyway if a bolt of lighting couldn't do anything. There were several slits in that visor; if she could pour a drink and...no, even if she was allowed to get that far, her opponent could shrug of fireballs, some alcohol in her eyes would, at best, keep the intruder irritated while she was killing Asami. The letter opener on her desk was small enough to get through and stab out an eye, but she probably couldn't make that shot, and definitely couldn't make it lethal. She wouldn’t be able to get far if she tried to run, even if she'd had a clear path to the door.

Talking her way out of this was the only option.

_Calm down and figure out what she’s after. Cut down on the sarcasm. Be diplomatic._

Barring that trick with her artificial hands, the metalbender hadn’t moved a millimeter since the conversation had started. She didn't even appear to be breathing, but that was probably just the armor. Probably.

Asami turned on the charm, and smiled as pleasantly as she could manage. "Would you like to take a seat?" she asked, gesturing to the chair opposite her. "How about a drink?" She could feel herself shaking, hopelessly trying to keep still as her body processed all the happiness-adrenaline and fight-or-flight-adrenaline in her veins. 

“No. No.”

Despite being a bit put off by the brevity of the reply, Asami nodded obligingly. “Very well. So, what is it you need to tell me?” Her voice wavered slightly as she tried to control her breathing.

_Calm down. This is a business meeting, like any other. Except with someone who can and very well might kill me. She came to me, and is offering information. This is a good starting point. Good. Right. **Calm. Down.**_

Asami glanced down at the broken remains of her glove, then back up at the metalbender. She stared into the darkness of the slits in that helmet, but it was impossible to distinguish a face beneath it.

_Those openings...a decent bender could send water into them. Freeze it, break apart the helmet. Or take off her head. The neck is weakly protected, too, probably to keep it flexible._

The other spoke, cutting through her thoughts. “Five days from now, an associate of mine is going to attempt to assassinate President Raiko and other government representatives at the victory celebration held in Avatar Korra Park. You and your friends are going to save the president’s life.”

The statement caught Asami more than a little off-guard. It sounded bizarre to her, coming from the same person who had put a decent chunk of the police force in the hospital.

_But it’s hard to argue with a request like that._

“And who is this ‘associate’ of yours?”

“An extremely dangerous waterbender with the ability to produce and control superheated steam in combat. You’ll need to cut off any external water source to the area beforehand. If you want to trap him, it would also be advisable to divert waterbending and earthbending police officers for this purpose. Firebending will be useless and lightningbending will be potentially disastrous in the presumably damp air. Enlisting the Air Nation's forces to counter the vaporized water would also be prudent.”

_Superheated steam?_

Her mind flashed back to the warehouse theft, and pieces started falling into place.

_Oh, shit._

But she kept a straight face, giving nothing away. “And what role do you play in all this?”

“I’ve been hired to commit acts of sabotage beforehand to cripple the RCPD’s vehicles and hinder their response time. I will perform this task. Anyone who tries to stop me will fail. The police must have all available personnel on-site to negate this disadvantage.”

_Hired?_

"Chief Beifong and her officers will likely disagree. They'll try to protect their equipment."

"They will fail. They will waste their now-limited manpower."

_Did she pick a fight with the police specifically to reduce their numbers and force them to prioritize like this? Or was fighting them strictly a necessity for her, and now she's using it to her advantage? If she's telling the truth, the course of action and tactics she's suggesting are the best. She's not trying to divide opposing forces, she's encouraging cooperation against her employers. If she's lying, the risk is too great to ignore what she says and there's no other information to work off of._

The levels of strategic sense this was all making was starting to unsettle Asami. “Why are you trying to help us?”

“Because I want you to intercept and capture him.”

_That was about as informative as I'd expected._

_Learn all you can. Learn who she is. Get something verifiable._

_Play this casually. She won't kill me right now if she needs me to deliver this information. There's nothing to be afraid of._

“Listen, you-what should I call you?”

“What have you all been calling me before now?”

“According to the police, you are ‘metalbending criminal number one’.”

Asami heard unintelligible mumbling from the helmet before the actual response. “Call me Eboshi.”

_Okay, well, that was easy._

"Really? That’s it? You’ll tell me right away?”

“It isn’t a secret. It won’t tell you anything useful about me.”

_Of course it won’t._

She decided to keep inquiring. “What about your face? Is _that_ a secret?”

“No.”

“Will you show me?”

“No.”

Asami casually distanced her hand from the letter opener.

_Eh, she would have probably bent it back at me anyway._

“Who is this waterbender?”

“If I tell you his name, you will inform your allies on the police force, who will begin investigating him. Unlike me, his existence can be legally verified, and he has a network of informants who will contact him if this happens, letting him know you’re on to him and ruining your opportunity to apprehend him. He must suspect nothing. Inform your friends, allow this attack to take place, prepare for the fight, and eliminate him.”

_Such loyalty. Still, this is good. If she and whoever else aren't strongly tied to each other, they can be pitted against each other. But what are they after?_

_Heck, might as well ask. She doesn't seem to care about what my questions are._

"Why are you doing all this?"

"I have no other option."

_What?_

Hoping for the best, Asami's expression softened. "Are you being  _forced_  to commit these crimes? Is that why you're trying to get help?"

"No. No."

_So much for that._

And she  _still_  hasn’t moved, aside from some random twitching of her hands. Asami was starting to notice how strange it was. She couldn't get any kind of reading on Eboshi, who likewise wasn't paying any attention to the engineer's body language. She couldn't tell where her eyes were looking, but based on the angle of that helmet, Eboshi wasn't even looking at Asami at all, fixated on the wall behind her.

Asami adopted a more assertive tone. “And why, exactly, do you want him out of the way?”

No answer.

She tried again. “You seem pretty dangerous yourself. If you’re so concerned, why don’t you take him down?”

“Because I don't need to."

_This isn't getting me anywhere. Blunt, vague answers, none of which really motivate me to help her, but they also don't tell me anything that can be used against her. She's either really confident I'll do what she says no matter what, or has no clue how to negotiate._

_Okay, think. She's selectively disclosing information, selling out her employer, threatening...everyone, really. She's not interested in helping anyone except herself._

_That can be used._

"If you've been hired for a job, I'm sure I could work out a more formal, and beneficial, agreement than whatever you're currently doing."

"No."

Asami tried to figure out what to do, what to say, but the mentality of her "guest" got more and more incoherent with each response. “So you expect us to do your dirty work?”

“Yes.”

Asami decided to change the subject.

_If this is what she wants, fine. Work with her, get her to slip something._

“All right. If you really want us to do this, you should-”

"Enough." She interrupted, uninterested in whatever Asami was getting at. " I gave you the facts, I gave you a plan, now do it, or people will die."

_Was that supposed to be a show of concern for innocent lives? Or motivation for me to follow orders?_

The two women studied each other in dead silence until Eboshi spoke again. Her helmet jerked to the side, staring intently out the window to the southeast. "I'm out of time." She turned and walked towards the door.

Asami had no idea what the sudden hurry was, but she wasn't eager to wrap things up quite yet. “Wait. What happens if we decide  _not_  to follow the advice of a known criminal?”

The metalbender didn't so much as glance backwards as she spoke. “Then the Red Lotus will be even closer to victory.”

Without another word, all the light fixtures in the office warped and shattered their bulbs. By the time Asami pulled out a flashlight, she was alone.

 

* * *

  

Juicy approached the city limits, heading towards Air Temple Island, sitting in the middle of the bay and illuminated by the Spirit Portal.

Korra stood up, feeling the wind in her hair and taking in the view. "Quite a trip, huh?"

Opal glance up briefly to stare out over the horizon with exhausted, dull eyes. "Yeah. Loads of fun." She paused, then slowly turned to Korra. "I'm glad things worked out. Relatively speaking. And I'm glad you didn't have to kill those soldiers. Thanks."

_An entire state saved, people cheering, and an army standing down without one life lost._

"Still, it feels good to be back we've been gone for so-" Korra thought through the timeline of the trip. "Since yesterday. We left  _yesterday morning_. How did this happen?"

"Things got screwed up royal, that's how it happened."

In the distance, Future Industries Tower was visible. Asami was probably working late, expecting Korra to come back and check in. She certainly wasn't going to disappoint. She stood up, ready to start flying under her own power. "I'm going to see Asami."

Opal looked up at her dourly, then the weight of what Korra said hit and she snapped to attention. "You radioed her less than an hour ago. You don't have to go right now! Please don't bail on me!"

"What do you mean, bailing on you?"

The airbender pointed to Ikki, who was asleep at the edge of the saddle, her arm in a sling. "Leaving me to report to Tenzin  _alone_."

_No lives lost, but I still couldn't keep everyone safe. I can call Asami from the island to let her know where I am, maybe I should stick around to...what the..._

As the city grew closer, Korra reached out into the spiritual energy surrounding it. She could feel Future Industries Tower.

And she could feel something was wrong.

"Tell Tenzin what happened was all my fault, and I'll talk to him tomorrow. You'll be fine." Korra quickly unfolded her glider and leapt off of Juicy before Opal could object, heading straight for Asami's office.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's a nice, positive train of thought you were having, Asami. Can't have that, now, can we?
> 
> Longest chapter yet! This one took more time than the others because trying to come up with a good resolution to this detour into the EF was a pain to write, especially trying to give some personality to two characters we won't see again, but these last two chapters were necessary to lay down some foreshadowing, and show the broader situation. Hopefully I won't run into the problem again. The EE troops were actually more dangerous in the first draft, but after struggling to reconcile everything, I decided to make them intimidating but ultimately pathetic before getting back to the real threat. There's a reason "Hsaio" sounds like "Zhao".
> 
> Writing things for Ikki so she wan't utterly irrelevant was also surprisingly time-consuming. I worry I made Opal look a bit too selfish in this, but I think we've all been in that situation where you know someone else has it worse than you, you know it's not your fault, and you also know you're going to get blamed and royally screwed over for it anyway.
> 
> So, anyway, ~~Samus Aran~~ _Eboshi,_ our nigh-invulnerable metalbender, finally speaks, bringing the named villain count to three. Her conversation with Asami was originally much more detailed, but while editing it I realized that the less she said, the better an antagonist she became, allowing Asami's thought processes to work off of bare-bones information from this uncanny enemy. Deciding what to include was a bit of a challenge, and she wound up with about 1/5 of her original dialogue. Much of it cryptic. Also, just in case any of you are thinking she doesn't take Asami seriously as a threat, the armor worn to meet her while alone, unprepared, and unarmed is the same suit used to confront a well-equipped and trained police force. None of my villains are stupid. Not the main ones, at least. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's bookmarked the work, left a kudos, or a comment, particularly comments, anything. Especially last chapter where it became apparent Opal was being more combative than was strictly necessary to establish the situation. That's the kind of feedback I need. Thank you for reading.


	7. Fight Smarter, Not Harder

Korra bent the lamp back into shape, screwing in the final light bulb while Asami swept up the last of the broken glass in her office. It took her a moment to figure out something to say. "So...uh..." It took her another moment to figure out something to say that wasn't unhelpful. "Any ideas?"

Asami dumped the shards into the trash. "As much as I don't like it, that metal nightmare is right. If there's a chance of apprehending a Red Lotus member, we should take it. But we can't spread this information around too much, if we do, we'll lose our opportunity. Then again, if we don't tell Raiko and only work with our friends, it's, um..."

"Manipulative?"

"And treasonous. We know about a threat against the president's life. We can't just not tell him." Asami sat down in her chair, massaging her temples.

Korra pulled the guest chair around to the side of the desk and took a seat. "You're the genius. What do you think we should do?" 

Asami leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "You're gonna have to bare with me for a moment." 

She snapped back forwards, took a deep breath, and started speaking rapidly. "As a starting point, let's assume all this new information is accurate. So, now we know who has the turbine, this waterbender guy, and that he can use it to produce electricity personally. We don't know what for. We know he's hired Eboshi to perform work for him, in exchange for something _I_ apparently can't provide, and that she's not particularly loyal to him. Feeding us information could be part of a more elaborate plan, but it can only be part of _her_ plan, not the Red Lotus'. Them telling us all this doesn't make sense, we didn't even know they were involved. There's no advantage to be gained. She's playing us against them, likely for her own benefit. Now, if we cancel the celebration, the president will be safe, but the Red Lotus will know something was up, and probably realize their armored freelancer had something to do with it. If we go public with what Eboshi told me, she'll _definitely_ get exposed, she'll fight them, likely lose, and we'll lose a potential mole within the enemy ranks. In both cases, we'll miss an opportunity to trap the Red Lotus directly. We can't just let the attack take place without preparing, otherwise Raiko will probably die and the Red Lotus' plan will move forward. So we have to do what Eboshi wants. Even though she's obviously trying to exploit us."

Korra sat rapt with attention, but was able to keep up. "So, prepare for the worst?"

"Of course. We'll do what we were told." She leaned back again, thinking. And smiling. "We'll also do plenty of things we _weren't._ "

"We need the advantage, right? Well, we've got it now."

"True, but our enemy only revealed herself to tell us we've got _another_  equally-if-not-more-dangerous enemy out there." She rapped her fingers on her desk absentmindedly. "How much do you know about steambending? I've never even heard of it, much less seen anyone use it. Is it even possible?"

"Controlling mist or pre-existing steam isn't too tough, but personally bringing water to boil is rare."

"How rare? Like lavabending?"

"Yeah. With a small population size like the Water Tribes, it used to be a few-in-a-generation thing, or even less. But that was _before_  the Fire Nation declared war on the rest of the world and more than half the waterbenders in the world were imprisoned or killed. I haven't heard of anyone being able to do it since the early years of the Hundred Year War. But _of course_  the one person in the entire world who can do it joined up with the Red Lotus."

"I'm just thinking about exactly how to counter him. We'll need to make sure any water supply can be quickly cut. We'll need people in place ready to cut off connections to any attractions or facilities."

"Asami, there's a _lake_ in the park, the water fountains are hardly going to be our biggest problem."

"I know...but just because he can heat water doesn't mean normal waterbenders can't cool it right back down. If the RCPD stations officers around the area, they can recondense and freeze the lake before things get out of control."

"But no firebenders. "

"Well, we should have a few, like Mako. The Red Lotus member may have backup of his own, we should be prepared to fight back with multiple bending disciplines."

"Red Lotus members we've seen so far are either isolated or in small groups. What if Eboshi is there with him?"

"That's unlikely. She said she'd been hired to go after RCPD vehicles. Unless that was some kind of reverse-psychology ploy to make up want to waste people protecting those vehicles while she's the one to kill the president...but they would have been there anyway if she'd never told me anything..." She kept thinking, but the unreliability and abnormality of everything made a solid course of action difficult to find. "We have to weight things so heavily in our favor we can't lose."

"How do we do that?"

"With you. If things start to look bad, don't hold back. Go right into the Avatar State and wipe out any opposition. We'll also need to make sure the Red Lotus can't achieve their goal. And we need a way to get Raiko out the _second_ things look bad."

Asami reached for a pen and paper, then stopped and cringed in pain, clutching her shoulder. 

Korra leapt up and came to her, supporting the injured arm. "What happened?"

Gritting her teeth, Asami cautiously tested the movements of her right arm. "I got slammed into the wall by a solid steel hand. Ow, I thought it was okay..."

After taking a brief look at the dent in the wall behind Asami, Korra dashed over the bathroom, and brought some water, bending it in midair. "I'm gonna need you take off your shirt."

It looked like Asami had already figured out what Korra was intending, her jacket off and shirt partway unbuttoned, though she was struggling a little doing it one-handed. "Heh, _okay._ " 

"Not funny." said Korra, trying and failing to suppress a grin before making sure nothing was seriously damaged.

The water glowed as Korra slowly worked through the healing process, feeling Asami's pulse and bloodflow as she relieved the tension and aching, watching the bruises vanish.

"So, how's the shoulder? Korra, what are you ohuuuhhh." Korra started to heat the water with firebending. "Okay, take your time."

Working the fluid across Asami's back, Korra tried to add to the plan. "Maybe I shouldn't even be there to protect Raiko. If Eboshi's going to attack police headquarters, I could stop her there, and let you and everyone else deal with the Red Lotus. If things go south, I can move fast enough on my own to get to the park." 

She felt Asami tense back up. "It's a good idea, but I don't think you'll be able to take her by surprise." 

"Why not?"

"There's something else. When you were trying to track her through the energy and vines around Republic City a few days ago, you said you'd felt something, but it wasn't useful. What happened, exactly?"

"Well, I thought I had a bead on hi-on _her_ , but then it vanished once I was closing in." She took the mass of water away as Asami put her blouse back on without trouble. "Why?"

"My little discussion with her ended less than five minutes before you showed up on the balcony, after she stared out the window and said she was out of time."

Korra froze. "What are you saying?" Though she'd already put it together herself.

"She can track you, probably by sensing spirit energy the way you do, _and_ conceal herself from the technique." 

Korra leaned back and rubbed her brow. She wondered what it must have been like when bending more than one element was the weirdest ability around. "What do we do?" she asked, frustrated and trying to figure out how this was even possible.

"We focus on the steambender. For the moment, we probably can't get to Raiko at this hour, but you should go to Tenzin right now to arrange a meeting and come up with a plan."

"I'll go tell him everything. I don't know how long it'll take, so I'll probably stay at Air Temple island tonight. Will you be okay?"

"Of course. I'm fine. See you tomorrow."

Maybe it was the encounter with the metalbender, or the Red Lotus in general, but Korra could tell she was worried. 

She pulled Asami in for a kiss, hoping it would reassure her, then unfolded her glider and smiled. "We've got a few days to prepare. What's the worst that can happen?"

Asami nodded, smiled, and watched her fly down into the city. 

_Yeah. What's the worst that can happen._

 

* * *

 

Korra landed on Air Temple Island to find an exhausted Opal cleaning the sky bison stalls, looking up from her broom to yell at Korra.

"SO, KORRA, HOW WAS ASAMI?  _Worth the detour?_ "

_Sorry, Opal, but I do not have time for this._

"She's good. Sort of. Is Tenzin here?" asked Korra, trying to stay focused but increasingly unnerved by the glaring Beifong. Even the half-awake bison surrounding them were getting spooked.

Tenzin appeared, drawn by the yelling, and appeared _slightly_ less angry than Opal.

"Korra! What happened?! My daughter comes home from a simple mission with a broken arm, while Opal's trying to pin responsibility on you, but then you run off to hang out with your friend?"

That last word turned Opal's expression from barely contained rage at the both of them to putting her hands over her mouth to suppress laughter.

_Oh wow, he doesn't know._

_Should I-no, not right now._

"Tenzin, I can explain everything that happened in Shaan, but unfortunately, we've got bigger problems right now."

"Like _what!?_ "

"The Red Lotus."

Tenzin stood for a moment in silence, eyes darting back and forth, hoping she wasn't serious. "Opal, leave."

Her curiosity giving way to fatigue, Opal dropped her broom and headed off to bed without objection.

Tenzin led Korra to his office, where she told him everything she'd been told, along with Asami's plan, as he quietly took it all in.

"I'll schedule an appointment with Raiko tomorrow." He said grimly, stroking his beard. 

The two of them sat in silence for a minute.

"Is Ikki feeling better?"

"Yes," he said quietly. "She'll be fine in a few weeks."

"Don't blame Opal for what happened. It wasn't her fault."

He nodded. "I think we should both get some rest."

Korra got up and headed to her room, but Tenzin stayed in his office a while longer, staring out over the water.

 

* * *

 

Korra had been sitting in a chair in city hall for what felt like an eternity while Tenzin tried to get in to see the president, spacing out looking at the patterns in the floor tiles.

"Korra!"

At the mention of her name, Korra was yanked back to reality and stood up in time for Asami to get her in a hug. A strangely long, tight hug, as Korra noticed, though she wasn't about to complain. She tried to shifted her head over Asami's shoulder to get a look at Tenzin.

 _Let's see if he notices;_ _nope, he's busy talking to the secretary._

Raiko was running behind schedule. It was unwise to talk about the specifics of something this big over the phone, not to mention to Raiko's secretary rather than the man himself, but Tenzin had hoped he'd made the seriousness of the situation clear. They'd tried to be respectful of his time, but this was too important to wait.

Asami finally let go of Korra as the latter turned to see Chief Beifong coming down the hallway, back in uniform.

"Lin! I didn't know you'd be back on the job so soon. Are you all right?"

"Nope," she said, painfully straightening her back. It looked like some braces had been incorporated into the armor. She pulled Korra to the side and spoke in a low tone, conscious of the bureaucrats walking around them. "So, what's happening? Tenzin told me the Red Lotus was planning to attack the president."

"I thought he wasn't being explicit over the phone." said Korra, speaking softly to match.

"Tenzin and I have a sort of code for situations like this."

"Well, he's still trying to get us in, but I think Raiko is having another meeting that's running long."

Lin scowled at Korra, and then at the door to Raiko's office. "Do you really think whatever city planning nonsense going on in there is more important than what you have to tell him?"

Korra thought for a moment, then nodded and decided to simply walk in. Asami and Lin followed behind her while it took Tenzin a moment to notice what they were doing. "Mr. President, I'm sorry, but we can't afford to wait and whatever you're doing isn't-General Iroh?"

The general stood up and saluted her, while Raiko looked insulted by the intrusion and quickly folded up some document he had on his desk. "Hello, Avatar Korra. I'm glad you're here."

"You are?"

"I was hoping to get your help after this meeting."

"A meeting which happens to be  _very_ important and isn't yet finished." interjected Raiko. "Korra, I would appreciate it if you left. _Now_."

Asami stepped in front of Korra before the latter could respond. "What about the Red Lotus coming to kill you? Is _that_ important enough to get your attention?"

The general and the president looked at each other, and the former sat back down. "I have a feeling I should stay for this."

Raiko sighed, realizing the gravity of the situation as he looked at who was surrounding him. "Please continue, Miss Sato."

"The simple version is last night, the metalbender who fought the police showed up in my office offering information. She identified herself as 'Eboshi', and told me that the Red Lotus is going to kill you at the Victory Celebration in four days, led by a man capable of creating and bending steam whom she declined to identify." 

"So, our mysterious metalbender has a name," said Lin. "And I was starting to wonder if there was even a person in that suit."

"Why would you wonder that?" asked Korra.

"Because when I fought her, I couldn't pick up any vibrations. There was _nothing_ coming from her, at least when she only standing or walking around. When she moved to strike, her steps were there, but behind it was no breathing or heartbeat."

Korra and Asami stared at each other, confused. _That_ hadn't been in the papers.

"How is that possible?" asked Asami.

"That's what I'd like to find out. I'll start an investigation, see if we can find anything on her."

" _No,_ " Asami objected, "We can't let word of this get out, at least for the next few days. If we plaster her name on wanted posters, it would let the Red Lotus know they had a leak."

Raiko was growing impatient. "This is absurd. I'm not going to make myself a target for the Red Lotus. And I'm not going to put our citizens in harms way! The celebration will be canceled."

"With respect, sir, we may never get a chance like this, and if you don't appear, the Red Lotus isn't going to give up on assassinating you because of a scheduling change," said Lin. "I'll have as many undercover officers in the crowd as I can manage. We'll be ready."

"And you'll have the support of the Air Nation and the Avatar," added Tenzin. "Working together, we can finally strike a blow to these terrorists."

Asami tried to convince Raiko next. "We _have_ to do this. I've worked out the reason for the theft at my warehouse. If what we've been told is true, there's a bender out there somewhere who can use the generator by heating the steam himself without additional machinery. It doesn't answer what exactly he'd need the power for, but this is our best opportunity to stop him."

Raiko sat back in his chair, thinking and sweating a bit as he thought about the target on his back.

Iroh had been quietly taking everything in, then sighed as he put everything together. "Actually, I think I  _do_ know what he'll use it for." He turned to the president. "Now we know for certain the _Isonade_ is here."

"The what?" asked Korra.

"It's-"

"General!" snapped Raiko, trying to gain some control of the situation. "She doesn't have the right to know about this. None of them do."

Iroh was becoming frustrated by his commander-in-chief. It had been a long meeting before Korra barged in. "With all due respect, sir, she's the Avatar. She was bound to wind up involved eventually." Begrudgingly, Raiko waved for him to keep going. "The _Isonade_ is an experimental submarine developed cooperatively by the Fire Nation navy and the United Forces, designed to be highly independent, mobile, and equipped to aid forces of multiple bending disciplines. Last week it was stolen right out of its shipyard, along with captured UF personnel, and I believe it's headed here. Or rather, in light of what you told me, it arrived three days ago."

Tenzin had gone from being supportive to fuming at Raiko. " _This_ is what you've been hiding. There's a warship crewed by terrorists waiting to attack our city, and you didn't tell me!?"

"It was the concern of the United Republic!"

Meanwhile, Asami ignored the squabble, focusing on the technical details. "Submarine technology has existed for decades. What _exactly_ makes this ship so dangerous? And why do you think it's here?"

"On top of being heavily armed, it's completely self-sufficient," answered Iroh. "The _Isonade_ is powered by advanced batteries designed to be recharged with lightningbending. Properly crewed, the only limiting factor in its range and mission duration is the supplies needed to sustain the people on board. But without lightningbenders, it can't stay operational long."

"Or in this case, it can," finished Asami, "with one steambender, a turbine, and a lot of jury-rigging."

"Why would you want something like this thing built? Don't the Fire Nation and United Repubic already have large navies?" asked Korra.

"Because I stopped trusting Kuvira the moment she started refusing the assistance of the United Forces, and demanded we leave 'her' borders. I wanted a stronger navy to counter any attempt to extend her influence beyond the continent, as well as a means of reconnaissance. This ship could easily infiltrate the center of the continent through the straits dividing it and keep an eye on the Earth Empire." 

"But then, we took down Kuvira before it was needed," said Korra. "So, the United Forces will help repel this attack?"

"We also need help to protect the damaged freighters," added Asami. "Everyone's been arguing over what to do with them for the last few days, and with all the money involved and conflicting interests, it won't get resolved before the attack. If the Red Lotus wanted everything on board destroyed, they would have ordered Eboshi to sink them. There's something on board they're planning to take."

Iroh nodded. "If the Red Lotus is stealing top-secret military hardware, it opens up new problems for how to contain information. But I'll have guards stationed around the freighters to watch out for whatever they're planning. And I can bring in ships to defend the bay if the _Isonade_ surfaces."

"Couldn't that much activity tip them off?" asked Tenzin.

"Maybe it would give them pause, but it wouldn't be unexpected. They don't know that we know they have a power supply to recharge the ship's batteries, so they'll assume we're anticipating they'll attack a target within the expected range, and will distribute our ships accordingly. They must expect us to defend one of the largest cities in the world. What they don't know is that we're certain of their intended target, we know who they are, and will have more ships available than we would ordinarily. They'll be cautious, but it won't be enough to let them know we have this new information."

Everyone else turned to Asami.

"It makes sense," she said. With a hint of uncertainty.

Raiko was looking more convinced, if still not entirely on board with risking his life. "Are we even certain this information is reliable? How do we know these events are all connected?"

"We don't," answered Iroh. "I'm trying to figure out who's responsible for this mess. Who's the agent for the Red Lotus, I mean. The most likely possibility is someone working on the project helped steal the ship, but I have no way of verifying that. Whoever leaked the information could also have done so unwillingly. It could be none of them at all, and some meeting was spied on or a document stolen."

"I'd thought you people would take greater security precautions." chided Lin.

"We knew Zaofu was infiltrated by them, but I'd hoped the Fire Nation was safe." Iroh's face suddenly turned more morose.  "That my family was safe."

"We're all worried, but we've suffered three major attacks in the span of a week, another coming, and a, um," Korra struggled to find the right words, " _unique_ source we can't dismiss. We've got the manpower, now let's put together a plan."

Asami grinned confidently and set some folders down on Raiko's desk. "We'll stay here as long as it takes to find a way to stop the Red Lotus, and to keep you safe. I've got a few ideas already."

 

* * *

 

Teraza sat in her room, obsessively reading over the specifications for the  _Isonade_ and the report of the theft.

_Let's see, who's the most likely person responsible? Or it could be more than one person, as far as anyone knows. Who would benefit the most, who would have the motivation..._

She looked through some notes about some of the military contractors, and who their rivals might be.

_Sun Industrial had taken increasing interest in naval technology, and the CEO's "suspected" funding of the Phoenix Coalition decades ago makes him suspicious. I wouldn't mind him getting put away over this if it can be proven._

_War Minister Lao was also involved in the project, and was keen on using it against Kuvira preemptively. Another valid possibility. Uncle Iroh never liked her anyway._

_Uncle distrusted Kuvira's coalition for nearly two years, I wonder if he thinks her forces were behind this somehow._

_No, the remaining holdouts aren't equipped enough for an operation like this. And the Earth Empire army didn't include water or firebenders. The attack on that shipyard showed evidence of multiple bending disciplines, that's obviously wrong._

_It'd be worth dropping the suggestions._

She took a look through various articles detailing the governments the new EF states were setting up. She'd arranged for reports and newspapers from all over the world to be sent back the the Fire Nation capital for her to read through, to keep aware of what was going on in the other nations. The situation was unprecedented. 

Dozens of states were all trying to find their footing in the wake of this new independence. Some had returned to governorships or other systems they'd had before Kuvira conquered them. A few other's tried to follow Zaofu's example, investing in high technology, Omashu quickly rising as Suyin Beifong's main competitor. Sandbender tribes organizing an anarcho-syndacist commune, clusters of villages forming different styles of governing councils.

_Fascinating._

Several states, however, were still dominated by the fractured remnants of the Earth Empire. The few remaining high-ranking officers were all competing to become the next Great Uniter.

She'd deal with them soon enough.

It was an increasingly promising setup. With authority and power distributed away from the monarchy and the capital, the entire continent wouldn't collapse into anarchy because of one woman being eliminated. A lesson Kuvira evidently hadn't learned, her empire lasting a few weeks before disintegrating without her.

_Guess she wasn't so superior and progressive after all._

But even after the Earth Queen's death, Kuvira's centralization around Zaofu, and the establishment of new governments, Ba Sing Se remained the center of power for the entire continent. It wasn't surprising, given the size of the place. Nothing could diminish it. Even with the changes, the power of the Earth Kingdom royal family and the capital they'd controlled for millennia wouldn't vanish overnight.

Only a few people in history had ever posed a serious threat to the impenetrable city, and she was related to most of them.

Teraza had only met Wu once, a year ago at a conference in Republic City. He was repulsive up close, proposing to "work closely to unite our nations".

She shuddered.

Even so, he was doing a surprisingly good job running Ba Sing Se and working to set up a federal government between the new states. The walls dividing the sections of the city weren't completely torn down, but they were remaining open, and revitalizing the slum areas was a priority. Taxes had been greatly lowered, too.

_Maybe he's not such a moron._

An image flashed of him on stage at the Four Elements restaurant, butchering a serenade directed at her. Those eyebrows... _wiggling_. Her favorite song ruined.

_Never mind, still a sleazebag. I won't forget that, no matter what he does._

_How did he even know I liked "Autumn on Ember Island"?_

Another report detailed the presence of numerous abandoned labor camps and "reeducation" centers. Kuvira had militarized and oppressed an entire continent in an alarmingly short period of time, and she very much doubted the claims that she would have stopped at conquering the United Republic. The same territory that fell to the Fire Nation nearly two hundred years ago.

The similarity wasn't lost on her.

_Dangerous idiot. Creating a cult of personality around herself. Using military discipline as justification for eliminating any dissent. Ultra-nationalistic ideology crushing rationality._

_Absolute power corrupting absolutely, as expected._

She paused and thought for a moment about where she was standing. And the gigantic portraits of her predecessors hanging right down the hall, standing tall over the masses.

One day, a portrait of her would be hanging there, too.

Teraza tried to relax, and find some good in the situation.

_Draw inspiration from many different places. Understand others to become whole._

Even if their leader was a delusional psychotic, the technological advancements Kuvira's regime had made were nothing to scoff at. That maglev system...Teraza looked over her map of the Fire Nation, considering what it would take to connect the entire archipelago in a similar manner.

The answer was:  _a lot._  It'd take close to a hundred kilometers for the bridges between the islands alone, not to mention connecting the different communities.

_Still, it'd be a massive economic improvement in the long term. Even if the shipping industry wouldn't take kindly to it._

_That shipping magnate, Hu Lee, could be after the battery technology. Maybe he's responsible for our missing ship. It's possible._

_..._

_Nah, that's too far-fetched._

It was a complicated situation, to be sure. New governments emerging, global reconstruction, and the leaders of the most powerful nation in the world now on guard against a well-armed group of terrorists. 

 _No matter what happens, I can make the best of it._  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watching the Legend of Korra, it's become clear that a major reason the heroes lose so often is the lack of preparation and fallback plans. Everyone in ATLA would be dead without Sokka coming up with plans for them on the fly, and even then, it didn't always help. Asami is going to fix this problem. The new Red Lotus members have their work cut out for them, but I think I've made it apparent they can give as good as they get.
> 
> So, pieces are falling into place. Finally starting to deliver on that "conspiracy within the Fire Nation" part of my summary, though the nitty gritty of it is still a ways off. Also decided to include some explanation of why Aelik's bending is so special: population statistics in the wake of attempted genocide. Although I still have no clue why lavabending never came up before Book 3.
> 
> Leave comments. There's nothing more helpful than comments. This will be the longest thing I have ever written, it's all making sense, I hope.


	8. Advanced Training

"Y'know, Asami, if you're going to drag me somewhere without giving me any idea _why_ , the least you could do is be the one to drive," complained Korra through gritted teeth as she kept her death grip on the wheel. Traffic was slow this time of the morning, but she'd still managed to anger half the cars she'd encountered through sudden stops, a lack of signaling, and generally not realizing the car didn't have a mind of its own to take over when she looked away from the road to talk to Asami.

"Korra, we live in one of the largest metropolises in the world. You need a better way to navigate than on Naga's back," she deftly grabbed the steering wheel to prevent Korra from crashing into a truck while merging. "As for where we're going, it's a surprise. Take a left here."

Korra wasn't very familiar with this area of the city, having usually viewed it from above, but it didn't take her long to figure out the destination. 

The wrecked warehouse was hard to miss.

The two of them surveyed the damage as Korra pulled in to park at a rather awkward angle. It wasn't like anyone else was going to be showing up to work today. Twisted steel beam stuck out of the remaining walls, and huge chunks of the pavement remained cracked from the airship impacts.

"Must've been some fight." remarked Korra, lowering her head. "Too bad I missed it."

"Don't be silly," said Asami reassuringly, taking Korra's hand and pulling her away from the scene towards an array of equipment she'd ordered brought in since yesterday. "You can't be everywhere at once. But we  _will_ be prepared for next time."

Asami put on some protective gloves and goggles, and fired up a boiler connected to the city water supply, valves ready to release scalding hot vapor on demand. "If we're up against a steambender, you need to practice condensing water vapor."

"Is this safe?"

"Nope. That's the point. Live fire."

Korra looked around the rest of the warehouse. She could tell by the tracks in the dusty floor that the boiler wasn't the only new arrival. "Dare I ask what the rest of this stuff does?"

"This is all a surprise, remember! You'll see. Now, get ready."

Asami definitely surprised her, Korra couldn't deny that. She took her stance in front of the safety valve why Asami checked on the temperature.  _  
_

"We'll start low, only 200 degrees. Are you ready?"

"Do it!"

Korra moved her open hands back and forth as the spray shot out of the valve, condensing the air. It was hot, but it didn't take long for her to accumulate a huge mass of water around herself as Asami shut off the flow.

"Are you okay?" asked the engineer to her now very sweaty girlfriend. "You can pour that down the drain, by the way. There's more where it cam from."

"I'm fine. I've never had to bend that much steam before. Do you have-oh," Asami handed her a towel. "Thanks. You're ready for anything, huh?"

"Damn right. So, this is good practice?"

"It's great!" Korra handed the towel back, and walked into position while Asami did the same. "Crank it up! Let's go!"

"Okay, but here's a recommendation: don't try to cool down all the steam. A lost of it will disperse on it's own, focus on condensing it in front of you to disrupt the flow and absorb more heat."

Korra focused and tested out some different arm motions. "Got it. I'm ready when you are."

For the next three hours, the two kept testing out different methods of countering their mock-steambender, at different temperatures and rates. Figuring out whether to bring the steam all the way to ice, whether to redirect it or disperse it faster. And Asami insisting Korra take breaks to get some clean water and cool off, in spite of her protests, even though the tank needed time to refill. Eventually, they figured out that it was best to make a bubble of liquid water the steam couldn't penetrate to protect Korra, while the avatar bent the steam outside it around her to dissipate into the air. But Asami had one last trick up her sleeve.

"You can combine different bending styles, right?" asked Asami.

"Of course. Wouldn't be much of an Avatar if I couldn't."

"Try using your airbending to compress the air around the steam. The added pressure will make it easier to condense." 

Moving into position once again, Korra got into an airbending stance. As Asami released the jet of steam, Korra tried to hold the water back with one arm while manipulating the air with the other. But it wasn't stable, the steam closing in around Korra. 

She only avoided being scalded by riding a cyclone out of the steam cloud, landing next to Asami, exhausted.

"Dammit. Are you okay?" Korra silently gave a thumbs up as she caught her breath. "Huh. I guess multitasking isn't the best method for this problem." 

After shutting down the boiler, Asami moved on to an arrangement of sensors mounted onto a metal pedestal.

"What're those?" asked Korra.

"Special temperature sensing equipment I whipped up to test firebending intensity. Another idea I had to help you out."

"How do you plan to up my firebending game in one day?"

"With airbending." She gave Korra a chance to look confused, and after what had transpired, a little bit worried. "Don't worry, _you'll_ be the one providing the heat this time. Fire needs air. But you're the only person in the world who can bend both. I want you to concentrate the air around your target, then firebend at it. The greater concentration of oxygen should increase the temperature of the blast. I don't know how much exactly, since I don't know how dense you can make the air, but it's worth investigating. Plus, being able to concentrate the oxygen will be a good way to counter the damp air."

While Korra moved to the right distance from the thermometers, Asami donned a fireproof suit to protect herself, with several fire extinguishers sitting next to her. "Try it out with a normal blast as our baseline."

Korra took a deep breath, and shot a quick burst of orange flame at the target.

"Uh huh. 1300 degrees. Now, give it your best shot!"

Korra roared as she sent out a torrent of bright yellow flames.

"About...1360 degrees."

"That's it?"

"That's a _huge_ difference. Besides, the flame isn't going to be that much hotter just because it's bigger. Now, concentrate the air around the setup," Asami said as she took cover behind glass.

Repeatedly arcing her hands, Korra formed a concentrated pocket of dense air, then put all her energy into firebending at it.

Then, she bent an air bubble around herself to avoid being blasted away by the resulting explosion.

As the dust and ash settled, Asami sprayed suppression foam at the burning remains of the apparatus.

"What did that read?" asked Korra excitedly, completely ignoring the settling plumes of ash and smoke around her.

"Um, I don't know. You melted the equipment, so that puts it at over 1600 degrees. Good job."

After getting out of the fireproof suit, she brought Korra to a row of metal blocks lying on a workbench.

"Ready for metalbending practice?" 

"I thought platinum couldn't be bent."

"It can't be bent because refinement methods for it are effective enough to remove all impurities and make it unbendable. These-" she waved up and down the row, "are arranged in decreasing concentration of earthen impurities up to pure platinum. Try them out. Show me how far you can go."

With a challenge like that, Korra was eager to show off, bending block after block, into different shapes, patterns, and finally a small figurine of her favorite engineer.

It turned out her upper limit was roughly 99.93% pure metal.

"Come. On. _BeeeeEeeEeeeEeeend._ " wheezed Korra, futilely trying to crush the third-to-last block. "I can feel the impurities in the metal! Why can't I bend it?!"

"Because even if you can tell they're there, there isn't enough mass to deform the rest of the block. It's a matter of volume fractions." She took the block out of Korra's hand and chucked it into a bin with the others. "And I hate to say it, but platinum is only commonly used because it can be purified to be unbendable. For other, strong metals, that threshold is going to be lower." She stared into space, thinking over the mechanics of metalbending. "It's a shame, too. More impurities make the metal easier to bend, but they also weaken it."

Korra looked around. There was one last, huge cluster of equipment hidden under a tarp.

"What's next?"

"Something good! You never learned how to lightningbend, did you?" asked Asami, smiling mischeviously.

Korra smiled right back. "What are you up to?"

"I know a guy." She glanced at her watch, then stared out the gaping hole in the wall across the concrete, listening to the sound of an approaching motorcycle. "And here he is now." 

Mako, now with his arm free, stepped out of the driver's seat, surveying the wrecked building. 

"Hey, Korra, Asami! What's goin' on?" he glanced around, taking note of Korra gulping down a bottle of water, the ash-covered floor, and all the equipment lying around. "What have you two been doing?"

Asami smiled at the firebender. "Just some special Avatar training."

"Well, let's keep the good times rolling," he said, removing his gloves. "So, Korra, ready to learn lightningbending?"

 

* * *

 

Asami and Mako had the volt meters, amp meters, and lightning rods all set up after a few minutes, eight of them arranged in a ring to draw any straw bolts, while Korra airbent the remaining dust from the firebending exercise into a waste bin.  

But Mako was having doubts about Asami's priorities. "Are you sure I should be teaching Korra to bend lightning right now? It didn't do anything against that metalbender."

"I'm not worried about her at the moment," shrugged Asami, focusing on making sure the connection to ground was secure.

Mako caught the pronoun, and looked at the engineer, confused. "'Her'?"

Asami realized she'd forgotten he wasn't up to speed on what had happened in the last few days. Or what was planned to happen. Lin must not have told anyone else the details, which was good, but out of everyone on the force, she'd expected Mako to be trusted.

She and Korra glanced nervously at each other before the latter spoke. "Asami had her own encounter with the metalbender a few nights ago. We're preparing to, um, well, how much do you know about what's going on?"

"Chief Beifong told me she was expecting something big at the victory celebration in three days, and that she was diverting everyone available to be ready for it, but if too much information was spread throughout the force ahead of time, it could be a disaster due to leaks."

"Do you wanna tell him, or should I?" asked Asami.

Korra shrugged. "I'm less likely to get into legal trouble for spilling government secrets." She took a deep breath. "The metalbender, her name's Eboshi, she'd been working for the Red Lotus to help them steal equipment to operate this high-tech submarine stolen from the United Forces that's sitting somewhere off the coast waiting to attack in a few days controlled by a _steam_ bender who we know nothing about other than he's going to try to assassinate President Raiko so the police, United Forces, Air Nation, Asami, and I are working together to lay a trap to stop him and today's all about training for the big fight at the park during the celebration for the victory over the Earth Empire."

Mako looked a little bit confused, but it faded after a few seconds while he processed the developments, then he was his usual stoic self. "Okay. And you want my help to do what, exactly?"

"Teach Korra lightningbending," answered Asami. "We've already been practicing other ideas to give her more of an edge, and lightning will be something of a last resort. If anyone uses it in damp air, it'll arc uncontrollably. If that happens, it should happen when there's a Red Lotus member to fry."

"And what about the metalbender?" he asked. "Lightning was bent at her when she, y'know," he waved around at the derelict warehouse, "did _this_ , how will me teaching you about lightning help against her?"

"It won't. We don't expect her to even be at the fight," replied Asami.

"How do you know that?"

"Because she's going to be tearing apart police airships at the time," answered Korra. 

" _What?_ That's part of you plan?"

"I'm not going to stand by while it happens!" objected Asami. "But yes, it's what we're going with."

Korra was still curious about how the technique could be countered. "How can a metalbender shrug off a bolt of lightning? The metalbender cops were helpless against Equalist gloves and bolas. Any ideas?"

Asami took the opportunity to voice a theory of hers. “Metalbending officers wear armor made of individual components, so the electricity goes right through it and into their bodies. Her suit’s plates must be interconnected, providing a path for the charge to flow, like lightning redirection. But there are still limits to how much it could take. Steel isn’t the best conductor, and I doubt she made heavy armor out of copper or silver.”

While the other two talked over armor design, Mako inspected the training area. Korra would stay surrounded by lightning rods, Mako would stay outside to instruct her, and Asami had a conductive enclosure prepared to protect herself from any charge.  "Well, everything looks safe. Safer than when I learned it." 

"How _did_ you learn to lightningbend?" asked Korra.

The firebender suddenly became very uneasy. "From Lightning Bolt Zolt."

"What, that Triple Threat Triad guy?"

"Yes, that's him, thank you for reminding me. So..." he trailed off as he took his position in front of the lightning rod. "Lightning generation is about separating positive and negative energies, and guiding the resulting clash." He extended the index and middle fingers on his hands, making guiding motions with them to demonstrate.

"Like this?" Korra stood opposite him, copying the movements.

"You've got it. To actually create lightning you need to keep your emotions under complete control. You need to remain completely calm, which isn't easy with that much dangerous energy arcing around you. Can you do that?"

Korra hesitated a moment before giving a quiet "Yes."

She followed the movements Mako showed her, and tried to direct a bolt into the lightning rod in front of her.

All she got a brief flash of a spark.

"Ow!"

"Are you okay?" asked Mako.

"Yeah, _ow_ , it's"-another spark jumped out of her hand-"ow, it's like a really bad static shock. OW!" Still suffering random shocks, she rushed over and grasped a lightning rod, sending the remaining charge into the ground.

"Sometimes that happens," said Mako flatly. 

"So, this is normal?"

"Not for me."

"Oh, _well_ , thank you for the instruction, oh wise teacher." 

"You're separating the energy, but it's not intense enough to get that sudden clash that produces a strong bolt of lightning, so instead it's hovering around you. You need more intense focus, and no emotion."

Korra was about to respond with something sarcastic about lack of energy and his own emotions, but decided to concentrate on getting the technique right. No emotion, only intense will to produce lightning.

She got a whole lot of static shocks of greater intensity for her efforts. By the time they had all discharged, all her hair was standing on end.

Asami stepped out of her conductive enclosure. "For right now, why don't you try to teach lightning redirection? "

Putting his hand to his chin, Mako thought it over. "That's probably a good choice. Lightning redirection is similar in practice to lightning generation, only you're guiding lightning from a source other than yourself. And the ability to control the flow within your own body might her you with your little self-shock problem."

Finger-combing her hair back into place, Korra decided this sounded like a worthwhile use of her time. "What do I need to do?"

"Well, as a waterbender, this should come pretty naturally to you, redirecting your opponent's energy against them." He extended the index and middle fingers one both hands, extending one arm, pulling it to his chest near the second hand, then extending the other arm, then doing the reverse, over and over as Korra copied the movements for a few minutes.

Realizing how much time must have passed Mako worriedly looked at his watch. "Dammit. Sorry, but I've go to get going," he said, rushing out towards his motorcycle.

"Wait!" shouted Korra. "Aren't you going to help me test it out?!"

But Mako was already halfway through the warehouse. "Not after only one hour of training! Sorry, but I've got to get back the HQ!"

After sulking for a second, Korra noticed Asami walking up to her, putting on her electrified glove and testing out the power supply.

"What are you doing?" asked Korra.

Asami flipped her hair and replied, "Creating a workaround. Go through the motions again."

Catching onto the idea, Korra moved her arms in the motion she'd been shown, feeling the flow of chi, and at the right moment, she took Asami's gloved hand, directing the energy from the glove through herself and successfully sent a small bolt of lightning into one of the rods.

"How do you feel?" asked Asami.

Korra beamed at her girlfriend. "Balanced."

 

* * *

 

Asami had decided to take on the role of cook for the evening. It was...good, but not quite as good as Korra's. More focus was giving to preparing the food effectively than adding flavor too it. Her insistence on using what was left of the not-quite-spoiled spirit carrot didn't help.

Korra relished the meal anyway.

Asami was slower to dig into the food. "As much as I hate to bring this up over a nice dinner, do you think you'll be ready to fight the Red Lotus in three days?"

"I'm sure we'll be fine. I've got anti-steam techniques, enhanced firebending tricks, and some high-level metalbending practice."

"Are you worried?"

"The balance of the world is in danger, and I've got to protect it. That's my role."

_That didn't answer my question._

_So that's a yes._

"If you are scared, do you think you'll be able to fight?" asked Asami.

_Was that question too blatant?_

"I don't know. Of course, I have to try anyway. I faced Kuvira, but she didn't _scare_ me like the Red Lotus." replied Korra, as she stopped toying with her food, putting her chin on her arm for support as she contemplated the situation. "I tried to face my fears before. Like with Amon and Zaheer. But when I confronted them directly, it got out of control, and I fell apart."

"Well, if you want to get right to the heart of the issue, was it really them you were afraid of?"

"What do you mean?"

"You told me in your letter that you were afraid of never recovering. I don't think it was any particular enemy you were afraid of. You were afraid of being irrelevant. That you couldn't fulfill your purpose. That being poisoned meant you couldn't truly be the Avatar anymore."

_No, don't mention the poison!_

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up." Asami tried to backtrack. "It's pretty impressive you'd be so willing to face what you're afraid of."

It didn't work. "No, it's okay. Healing wasn't easy, but it made me a better person."

Asami tried to hide her discomfort at that notion. 

_Should I try to push this?_

"Besides, it's not like I didn't need a little more restraint."

_No, I'm not letting her feel this way if doesn't have too._

Asami reached across the table and took Korra's hand. "Korra, I don't think you 'needed' to go through that. You were already a good person. You were-you _are-_ strong, and kind, and  _amazing!_ "

"Thanks. But looking back, I never really tried to understand and reason with my enemies. Never actually _solving_ the problems I was faced with, trying to fix everything by bending at it. I didn't have what it took to be the Avatar, and that's why I kept failing."

 _That's not true._  

_Tread lightly, don't force the issue._

"Didn't you say you'd talked to Zaheer in the Spirit World the first time? Trying to talk him into helping the world? That sounds very diplomatic to me."

Korra simply shrugged. "Yeah, I guess, but I probably wouldn't have done that if I'd known the scope of what he was planning to do. I'll clean up." She took their plates and utensils, started to clean them with her waterbending."Thanks for making dinner. And for all the training."

Asami decided to leave the topic for now. It had been a long enough day.

 

* * *

 

Later that night, Asami woke to Korra shaking next to her. Not thrashing in her sleep, but she was definitely having a nightmare.

 _What do I do, what do I do? Let it play out? Wake her up? Will that make it worse?_ Can  _I wake her up?_

But while she tried to think, Korra settled back down, and was lying peacefully again a minute later.

Asami never got back to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Korra grumbled as she rolled over in the bed, blankets coiling awkwardly around her. 

_Well, I was wrong. Mornings are still evil. Even Asami can't change that._

But Asami wasn't in bed with her.  

Korra heard the sizzling sound of cooking food coming from the kitchen.

_Or can she?_

Korra reluctantly got up and stepped out of the bedroom to see Asami arranging food on a pair of plates.

"So, how did you sleep last night?" asked the engineer.

"Eh, not well. Had a nightmare," answered Korra groggily.

"It seemed pretty rough."

"Not a big deal. Just a nightmare," she said groggily, slouching in her chair as she took a few bites, then realized what Asami had just said. "Wait, did I wake you up? I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. It wasn't our fault. Are you, y'know, okay?"

"Yep," said Korra bluntly, eyes still mostly closed as she tried to wake up.

"Did _I_ cause this? Because of what we talked about yesterday?"

Korra nearly choked on her toast. "No, _NO_. Asami, when I say it was just a nightmare, I really mean it was _just_ a nightmare."

But Asami wasn't looking reassured. "Was it Zaheer again?"

Forcing the food back down her throat, Korra was finally waking up, trying to look calm and collected for Asami's sake. "Amon, actually. He showed up at the south pole and took my airbending," she said while practically inhaling a mouthful of eggs. "Thun he kuled evryne I luf." She down a glass of orange juice and lifted up her glass triumphantly. "It was a nice break from being asphyxiated to death. Variety is the spice of life!"

"Are you seriously joking about this?" 

 _Dammit_.

"It makes me feel better." She kissed the top of Asami's head. "And so do you. Thanks for breakfast."

_You don't need to worry about me._

_I can prove it._

After getting her regular clothes, on, Korra took her staff and prepared to take off from the balcony.

"Where are you off too?" asked Asami.

"There's something I need to pick up from Air Temple Island."

"What is it?" 

"Oh, no. It's my turn to surprise _you_. Go ahead and meet me at the warehouse. I'll be there as soon as I can."

 

* * *

 

It was only a few hours into the morning, but Asami felt exhausted.

She didn't even notice Korra gliding through the warehouse until she landed right next to her.

"More of the same today?" she asked the engineer.

"Yes, but there's one other item I want to show you first." She opened a box, revealing several round platinum devices. "Anti-metalbender bombs. Platinum shells containing remotely detonated high-explosives wrapped around a powerful electromagnet made from highly purified copper. These ones also contain a pocket of water, so waterbenders can control its trajectory detonate it at will. Try it."

Korra could feel the hidden mass of water, but hesitated before bending the devices upwards. "Wait, I don't know how to trigger it, what if it goes off?"

"These ones don't have live explosives in them, only dummy weights." 

"Oh, okay." Korra took a moment to study the devices. "Did you have these pre-made? How long have you been working on them?"

"I got thinking about them, oh, _three_ nights ago." She hefted one in her hand, feeling the weight. "I sold a few dozen of them to the police to deal with our friend when the time comes."

"You think this'll be enough?"

Asami removed a tarp to reveal armor stripped off a salvaged Earth Empire mecha-suit.

"That's what we're going to find out today."

"But I though mecha-suits were made from platinum. That's not magnetic, right?"

Asami was stunned for a moment before smiling at how all that engineering knowledge was beginning to rub off on Korra. "You're right, platinum isn't ferromagnetic, but only Future Industries suits are made from it. Most of Varrick's design are made from steel, since Kuvira recruited any metalbender she could get her hands on and there wasn't enough platinum to supply the entire army. Well, not the entire army _and_ the Colossus. The second most stupidly impractical war machine in history."

"What's the first?"

"That drill used to breach the outer wall of Ba Sing Se."

While talking, Asami opened the shell of one of the bombs, exposing the internal mechanisms, guiding Korra through the functions. "Now, these bombs are activated by freezing the water inside, letting the expanding ice trigger a pressure switch and detonating the explosives."

The bombs hovered and sped around Korra as she tested out her control of them, studied their aerodynamics, and tested our freezer them to trigger the detonators. After about ten minutes of observation, Asami decided it was time to test out live explosives.

She lay the open chest in front of Korra, then started walking back to a safe distance. "Once I give the clear, launch the bombs at the target, freeze the water, and blow the damn thing apart."

"Got it."

Ten metal orbs hovered around Korra, ready to be propelled at their mock-metalbender, while Asami took cover behind safety glass.

"Um, Korra, take several more steps back. You'll get hurt if you're that close"

Korra did so.

"Little more." 

She was now safely outside the expected blast ranged, and growing a little wary.

"Little more." 

Korra was now behind the safety glass with Asami.

"Great."

The electromagnets were activated, and Korra held the cluster of bombs in the air, then with one jab each, sent them on their own trajectories and stuck them to the target. As she froze the water inside, the platinum casings directed the brunt of the blast into the armor.

As the dust clear, the two grinned at each other as they looked over the gaping holes in the pieces. The ones that were left, at least.

"Ready to get back to other training exercises? I still want you to keep practicing the condensation tests."

Korra took Asami's hand, pulling her towards the car. 

"Y'know what, let's hold off on bending training for now. There's something I want to teach  _you_ about."

 

* * *

 

Back at Asami's penthouse, the two of them sat opposite each other on her living room floor. Asami had noticed the small box on her table when they'd walked in, figuring it was whatever Korra had needed to pick up, but it didn't seem to be part of what she had in mind for the moment.

"Can I even do this?" asked Asami. "I'm not exactly the most spiritual person."

"Anyone can meditate. Besides, I'll be here to help. And if I can learn to enter the Spirit World, so can you. Sit like I am, steady your breathing, and try to feel the energy surrounding Republic City. All the spirits here, plus the new portal, should make it a bit easier for beginners."

Korra held still, cleared her mind, and a moment later, she was completely still, her mind somewhere else.

Asami was not, shutting her eyes and trying to get into the right mindset.

_Meditation is nothing more than reaching a particular psychological state. It can be done, even by an overactive mind._

She kept her breathing at a steady pace, and shut out all the other thoughts. Thinking too much would break her concentration, and keep Korra waiting. Thoughts like: how "easy" this process should become based on the presence of the energy in the vines and the portal. Was that a function of proximity? And what would happen if you meditated while in the Spirit World? Is you meditated into the Spirit World and then left through one of the portals, would you be able to see your own body? Would you be solid? Is that part of how Jinora's spirit projection works, meditating into the Spirit World, then sending it back into the physical world to observe and interact? If that's true, then no, you would be intangible. But why are some spirits tangible when others aren't? Can that be controlled? Is is a learned skill? How...wait...................................

 _This isn't working_.

After about five minutes of that, Korra's voice disturbed her. "Um, how's it going?"

Asami kept her eyes closed, getting frustrated and furrowing her brow. "I don't think I'm doing it right."

Korra did a quick hop closer to Asami, prompting the her to open her eyes as Korra reached out to her.

_What is she-_

Korra placed her left hand on Asami's neck, and right thumb on her forehead.

"This'll feel a bit weird, but trust me. I'm the best person around for this kind of thing."

Asami felt herself...stabilizing. It felt weird, but Korra seemed to be in direct contact with her spirit while meditating. Pulling her into the Spirit World along with her.

They arrived in a field together, the Republic City portal gleaming in the distance, spirits flying about and looking at the newcomers.

"We're back!" exclaimed Korra excitedly.

Asami brushed some grass ( _Spirit Grass? Seriously, what is this stuff?_ ) out of her hair, looking around, unenthused. "Yes, because I was so eager to get back here."

"Don't worry, if you get covered in weird fluids, it won't affect your physical body this time. Besides, this is great! If you can enter the Spirit World too, long distances won't be a problem for us!"

"But I can only do it when you're right in front of me to help."

"For now. It takes practice, but like I said, if I can get the hang of it, you can too."

"Right. Closeness. Is that, um, something we can _do_ in here?"

It took Korra a second to figure out what Asami was talking about. "I'm sure we'll figure it out. _Not right now_. Come on, let's see what you can do in here."

"I still think we should go back to training you. There isn't much time left."

"We'll have plenty of backup. The Red Lotus may be tough, but they're hardly unstoppable."

_Neither are you._

"Having more skills will help keep you safe. I don't like relying on the police or the United Forces. They haven't done much to help you in the past."

Korra started to realize how serious Asami was. "I know you're trying to help, but I'll be okay. Is this about my nightmare? Because it really was _just a nightmare._ " 

_Just get it over with._

"Yes, I'm worried, Korra."

"Well, what's bothering you so much? You can tell me. You were less scared when the Earth Empire army was marching into the city."

Asami wavered, feeling very uncomfortable, but know this had to be addressed. "First things first, I...I wasn't honest with you when I told you to leave a few days ago. What I said about you doing more good in the EF was  _technically_  true, but really, I just didn't want you in harm's way by staying in Republic City."

They stared at each other for a moment before Korra smiled at her, amused.

"Soooo were you expecting me to be mad that you didn't want to see me get hurt?"

_I was expecting you to be upset that I lied by omission, but if you're not, then I'm not going to press the issue-NO, no, no, TELL HER, tell her everything. Things will get better if I do._

"I'm afraid you're going to get hurt again. I'm afraid you're going to die."

Korra's smile vanished instantly.

And so did practically all of the light in the world around them.

_Nope. I feel even worse now._

Korra took her hands, the world gradually regaining its color. "Asami, things are better now. I'm better. I stopped what was happening in Shaan before things got out of hand, and helped things there. And I'll stop the Red Lotus when they attack again."

"But it's  _the Red Lotus._ They nearly-" Korra maintained a calm face, but Asami felt her hands tremble, just for a moment. "Most of the members we've seen are tough enough to take whatever's thrown at them, and the creepy, unstoppable metalbender is the one  _following_ orders. Who knows what the higher-ups are like." 

"We'll be ready for them. Especially with you to help me."

"I know, but I can't help but worry. And I-I-"

Asami felt so helpless.

 

* * *

 

Korra watched with a mix of confusion and odd amusement as Asami's spirit changed age in front of her. 

_Holy shit, she's adorable._

_She looks like a six-year-old...or...seven. Oh, no._

Then she noticed the tears in Asami's eyes.

"Asami, my job is dangerous, but I have to do it..."

Asami stamped her feet and threw down her fists. "I know! _I know I know I know!_ You're the Avatar, protecting the world is your duty! And it's important to you fulfill that role! But I  _can't_ watch you die again. I don't have many people in my life, Korra. I never have. You're the most important person left." 

In spite of how strange it was, Korra knelt down and embraced her. "We'll win. I'm stronger now than I've ever been. And I have you to help me."

"But I can't _do_ anything. I'm no match for the people you go up against."

"Maybe not in a direct fight. But you figured out the reasons for the thefts. And the connection to the attack on the United Forces! We're more prepared because of that."

Asami aged back a few years.

_Help her get back in control._

"I guess. What if you're captured? What if they try to destroy the Avatar cycle again?"

"Zaheer took me because we didn't have enough backup. We're going to hit the Red Lotus with everything we've got."

Another few years brought her to her early teens.

"Korra, when push comes to shove, don't hold back. Protect yourself before anyone else."

Having gotten that brutal request out of her head, Asami was back to her look when Korra had first come to Republic City.

"Okay," replied Korra, without missing a beat.

One last change brought her back to her early twenties, the sudden increase in weight knocking Korra off-balance into the grass.

Now that she was back to normal, Asami took slow, deep breaths.

_Or whatever the term is when it's your spirit doing it._

Korra gave her a quick kiss on the lips, and things went back to normal around them, even if most of the spirits had left to avoid the fluctuating emotions. "Feeling better?"

"A little bit. Let's just...lie here for a few minutes." After watching clouds pass in the endless sky of the Spirit World for an hour, Asami finally felt ready to talk again. "What should we do now?"

"We should get out of the Spirit World, that's what."

 

* * *

 

Korra opened the box, showing Asami the contents. "Tenzin was a bit worried when I asked for this, but I was able to smooth it over and get it delivered. It's not exactly something you can by in stores."

"Is that what I think it is?"

"About half a gallon of metallic poison? Yep." She uncorked the bottle bent the roiling mass out, holding it in the air. "And I have control of it. Heh. I probably should have opened with this instead of another spirit-trip."

Korra let the silvery liquid orbit around her. She was shaking a bit, and the movements were sloppy by her standards.

"And you aren't scared?" asked Asami.

"I am, actually. A little bit. I still hate this stuff. But I'm not going to fall to pieces over it. It's not really what I'm afraid of."  She carefully concentrated to liquid metal back into its container, and took Asami's hand. "You don't need to tiptoe around me. And whatever happens, we'll face it together."

Asami pulled Korra closer. "I'm sorry for being overprotective. I know you can look after yourself, and I didn't mean to-"

A kiss stopped her from going on. "You don't need to apologize for being scared for me. How's this: if I don't get worried, you don't worried. Sound fair?"

Asami closed her eyes, and held Korra tightly. "Yeah."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Korrisamiversary! Damn this one was a pain to write.
> 
> So, I'm going into Korra's PTSD a little bit. My policy is that she's over the worst of it and will keep getting better, but there are a few lingering systems. I also wanted to connect it to her experiences outside being poisoned, like her conflict with Amon. Because Zaheer gets WAY too much credit. Rewatch Book 1. Nightmares and depression aren't as new for her as most people seem to think.
> 
> I can't be the only person who was curious as to how Asami seemingly had no friends before joining Team Avatar. None. Nobody mentioned before or since. During the spiritual age-up I considered throwing in an angsty, acne wridden adolescent Asami, but decided it would detract from the drama. Still might show up eventually.
> 
> AND I can't be the only person who thinks the Drill is a bigger offender for "big stupid machine" than the Colossus. I don't really care, but it strikes me as silly that people think a giant mech is so much worse than building an enormous drill to bore through a wall rather than, say, a giant siege tower.
> 
> Leave a comment about what you liked. Or disliked, I'm not picky when it comes to feedback. Always leave comments.


	9. Double Date

Ikki grumbled as she led the small crowd through the path among the spirit vines. With her injuries, it'd probably be a year before her dad let her go on missions beyond Republic City. Even she couldn't argue hard enough to get back onto a bison with a broken arm.

"On your left, you can see the Republic City spirit portal," she said, glancing down at her note cards, not having practiced. "It was created last month by Avatar Korra as a result of the concentration of all the spirit vine energy in the city tearing a portal in the structure of reality! Now, spirits can freely move between their world and our city! Ask any questions you like as we go along!"

A small child spoke up. "What's a spirit?"

"Oh, well, a spirit is an incorporeal being which represents a particular aspect of the world," she answered, leaving the four-year-old no less perplexed. 

A man to her left shouted, "Why would concentrating a whole ton 'a energy in one spot produce a portal to the Spirit World? How's that work?"

She flipped through her cards, but honestly had no idea. "Um, uh, I don't really know. Sorry."

Someone spoke up from the back of the crowd. "How do the spirit vines compare to biological plants? Do they need water and sunlight? How aware are they?"

Ikki looked through a few of her cards, and quickly found the answers to the questions. "Okay, yes, the vines prefer to be exposed to water and light, but they don't seem to actually grow or draw any energy as a result, it just keeps them comfortable. They can't talk like other spirits, but they _can_ sense their surroundings and will protect themselves if anyone threatens them."

An older woman meekly raised her hand to get Ikki's attention. "Does anyone still live in these buildings?"

"No, due to the higher concentration in this area, the vines have caused so much damage to the infrastructure that the buildings were deemed unsafe and the residents were forced to move out."

Taking a deep breath, she was relieved to find they'd circled back to the start of the path and she could take a break. "Okay, thank you for coming on this tour, and I hope you had a great time! If you're from out of town, please enjoy your stay in Republic City!"

As the people scattered, Ikki struggled to adjust the straps of her sling one-handed, losing her grip on her note cards, scattering them across the ground as a young woman from her tour group took notice and approached her.

"You're Ikki, right? Let me help you," she said, reaching down and picking up the notes. 

"Wow, yes, thank you. Ugh, this is such a pain."

The other looked up to her sling attentively. "Your arm hurts? Do you need to see a doctor?"

"What? No, I meant it's annoying to try and do things with only one hand like this."

There was a long pause in the conversation as the notes were all recovered. "The discomfort is temporary. You'll heal, and then it won't matter."

"Uh huuuuuh...so, did you like the tour?"

"Yes. You answered my questions well. I have a passing interest in the spirit vines, and thought I should see them while I was in the city."

"You came to the right place. Republic City has the largest concentration of spirit vines in the world, aside from the swamp in the southern region of the Earth Kingd- _Federation_. I went there with my sister and brother to find Avatar Korra, and we met Toph! Have you ever been there?"

"Once."

"Did you like it?"

"No."

"Why not? Did  _you_ meet Toph?"

The stranger read through and reorganized the notecards, having somehow deciphered Ikki's bizarre organizational system. "The environment was frustrating. Yes."

"I didn't get to talk to her much before we had to leave and go to Zaofu. What was she like when you were there?"

"Unpleasant," she said, handing Ikki her cards. "Your injuries look like they'll heal in a matter of weeks. Why are you so concerned?"

"It's another setback in becoming a master. Jinora got her tattoos when she was eleven, but now I can't beat her. And after getting hurt, I won't be able to train for a few weeks and show dad how good I am and he's going to keep me away from missions forever and Meelo is going to show off and-" She ran her free hand through her hair, clutching one of the buns before simmering down. "No. No, he's only nine. If I can't keep up with Jinora and get tattooed, he _definitely_ can't."

"The obvious solution would be to destroy all the blue ink in the Air Nation. That would remove the threat."

"But then  _I_ couldn't get my tattoos."

"If you can't win, prevent your opponents from winning. A tactic you should also be on guard for."

Ikki laughed at the peculiar suggestion. "I'm an airbender, and we try to be agile, not underhanded."

The other paused for a moment, crossing her arms and thinking quietly. "What are the requirements for being tattooed?"

"Well, you need to prove that you're an airbending master. This can be with being really good at it in general, but that takes a long time, or by inventing new moves, like grandpa Aang did with his air scooter!" She hovered in the air like a top, demonstrating the technique.

Her new friend was quiet for several seconds, fingers rapping softly against the sleeves of her coat, lost in thought. Her stance was strange; usually, grown-ups would either look down at Ikki, or a few like Korra would kneel to talk to her, but this one was looking down and away from her for some reason. Ikki had though she was focusing on the note cards, but it hadn't changed even after handing them back.

Ikki was about to change the subject before receiving some advice. "Airbending could be used to block sound waves. By creating pockets or layers of vacuum, you could prevent sound from being emitted from an object. Or a person."

"That's...that's a neat idea!" Ikki stared quizzically. "How did you come up with that so fast?"

"I've studied acoustics. Sounds need a medium to transmit. Remove that medium, or increase its impedance, and you can create silence."

Ikki nodded, experimentally controlling the density of a small air bubble in her hand before noticing the people gathering at the entrance to the Spirit Wilds. "Sorry to cut this short, but I've got another tour group coming. Thanks for your help. It was nice talking to you!" She waved goodbye and airboosted herself over to the crowd as the tourist walked away into the city.

 

* * *

 

"I know it must be pretty embarrassing for you," said Bolin, checking out how his new jacket looked in the mirror. "Your ex-girlfriend finding someone so much cooler that you."

His brother momentarily looked up from his reports, confused. "Are you talking about Korra or Asami?"

"Both."

Mako frowned as he looked back down at his paperwork.

 _Walked right into that one._  

"I'm not embarrassed. I'm happy for them both."

"Is that why you didn't want to come along with us?" Bolin could see right through his brother. "Yeah, you're embarrassed."

Mako tried to shrug off the jab.

"I didn't want to be a third wheel. Or...fifth wheel. Whatever."

"So, when are you gonna get a new girlfriend? Is that 'Li' friend of yours available?"

"She's just a coworker, I'm not interested in her. And she'd _definitely_ not interested in me."

Before Bolin could get in another quip at his brother's love life, a knock at the door drew him away.

And into the arms of his girlfriend

Opal wearing a long, dark green coat and a large metal necklace of Zaofu's typical design, a glider staff in hand. Not too extravagant, but perfect for a night on the town. "Hey babe. Ready to go?"

"Yep. We're just waitin' for Korra and Asami."

"Mind if I leave my staff here? Wingsuits aren't exactly something I'd wear on a date, but there are no ferries this late." She noticed the casually dressed firebender sitting at the table behind her boyfriend. "Coming, Mako?"

Mako shook his head. "No, you two have fun without me. Tell Korra and Asami I said hi."

"They're coming here to pick us up. Come say hello yourself." she said pointedly.

"They saw me two days ago. And showing up at the start of a date seems weird."

Opal raised an eyebrow. "Embarrassed, Mako?"

 _Oh for fucks sake._  

The three of them heard a car pulling to a stop in front of the building, making Bolin even more excited. "That's probably them! Come on, no need to torment Mako any more. It's date night!"

 

* * *

 

Opal and Bolin stepped out of the apartment building to find the other couple chatting in the front seats of Asami's car.

"But won't throwing a small rock really fast have the same effect as moving a big rock slower?" asked Korra.

"No, see, they'll have the same momentum, but since the smaller rock is moving faster, it stores more kinetic energy and will do more damage. Energy _squares_ with velocity. A faster rock will also be harder to dodge."

"Wow. What phenomenal romance," chided Opal as she sat down in the back seat alongside Bolin.

"Hey, I'm having a great time!" shouted Korra, turned to the driver and smiling warmly. "This is _fascinating_  stuff."

Asami unlocked the side doors and motioned for them to hurry up. "Hop in. We need to to get there soon or there won't be a big enough table left."

As Asami shifted gears, Bolin nervously strapped in and turned to Opal. "Buckle up. Trust me."

Asami drove Korra, Opal, and Bolin to Narook's, everyone remaining silent for the first half-minute as they tried to figure out something they could all talk about.

Bolin and Opal decided to go at it together.

"So, how've you two been?"

"Relationship starting in earnest now that you've had a few days home?"

"Learning more about each other every day?"

"Talking about the good  _and_ the bad?"

"Getting to know each other more intimately?"

"Getting on each other's nerves at all?"

"Anything serious?"

"You've talked to each other about _everything_ , right?" they said in unison.

Korra and Asami glanced at each other before the latter answered."Yes, we're good, thank you. Very good. And please, don't  _ever_  do that again."

"You can't stop us," they said together, nodding to each other as they admired the payoff to their advice while Asami focused on the road and Korra tried not to laugh.

"So, big party in Avatar Korra Park tomorrow," said Bolin, with audible nervousness. "I take it you two will be there?"

Asami and Korra looked back and forth between each other, Opal and Bolin, before Asami reluctantly waved for Korra to go ahead and tell him everything.

Korra took a deep breath, ready to explain the whole situation like she did for Mako, but Bolin cut her off.

"I know I'm not technically, y'know, law enforcement, but I'll try to help fight the Red Lotus if I can," he said as Korra exhaled sharply.

"Wait, how do you know about that?" asked Asami.

"Opal told me. She and the other airbenders have been briefed by Tenzin. Right, honey?" he said to his now very flustered girlfriend.

"Bolin, I _wasn't supposed to tell you anything."_

"Are you kidding? I didn't even want to know about anything secret, I asked you how work was!" 

"I was under duress," protested Opal. 

"I baked you muffins and gave you a back rub."

"No one could have withheld information under those conditions."

Asami took a sharp turn that shook the passengers to break up the mock argument while Korra filled them in. "Yes, we'll be there, yes, we have a plan to fight off the Red Lotus and protect Raiko and anyone else the Red Lotus is targeting, and yes, we could use your help if you're volunteering."

"Actually, I was going to advise you stay out of the fight. I'm still not confident about our source, but we'll have plenty of official support." Asami mulled it over. "I'd figured we shouldn't get a civilian involved, but if you're already aware of what's happening, well...lava beats steam."

"Your 'source'. It's that metalbender, right? 'Eboshi'?" inquired Opal.

Asami looked at Opal with the rearview mirror, surprised. "Tenzin told the airbenders her name?"

" _He_ didn't tell me. Aunt Lin did."

"She supplied us vital information that could save lives. So, she's a good guy? Kind of?" asked Bolin hopefully.

"No." Asami said dispassionately.

"I...don't think so," agreed Korra.

"Aunt Lin is in daily pain because of that fight, and will be recovering for weeks. So, no, screw her."

"Wow, you have been in a  _really_  bad mood lately," noted Korra.

Opal wasn't willing to take any more flak about what happened in Shaan, even if it was only implied. "That's because everyone keeps expecting me to get along with people who hurt my family!"

"No one's playing nice tomorrow. But it won't be easy, even if we are prepared," added Asami.

Bolin reached forward and patted Asami on the shoulder. "Eh, don't worry, Asami. We're Team Avatar! We always pull through!"

To her surprise, the earthbender's eased Asami's fears tremendously. "Thanks, Bolin. Though sometimes I wish we had a little more muscle."

"We should do some recruiting," suggested Korra, thinking over the different bending styles they could use on the team. "Get some more benders on the team."

"Can I join?" asked Opal. "You don't have a dedicated airbender."

"Welcome aboard!" Korra reached around and shook Opal's hand, rather awkwardly due to the way she was reached.

Asami pulled into a lot, and a moment later they headed into Narook's.

"Okay, here we are. Official Team Avatar dinner date."

 

* * *

 

The food at Narook's was as delicious as Korra remembered, but she couldn't help feeling a bit uncomfortable out in the open. "It's a bit weird eating with everyone looking at us, isn't it?" 

She could see the other patrons giving quick glances, trying not to look curious. The only people not paying attention were the man slumped over the bar after drinking too much and someone their age with her back to them, staring very intently into her soup.

"Come on, Korra." Bolin said calmingly. "Of course people are going to be looking at us! The Avatar, CEO of Future Industries,  _a famous actor_ , and the third best airbender in the world are sitting at the same table."

"Opal, are you really the best after Tenzin and Jinora, or is Bolin just being sweet?" asked Korra.

"I'm pretty good, though I am _not_ looking forward to shaving my head." She toyed with her bob cut for a few seconds. "But really, not many of the others are giving me serious competition. Well, except Ikki. She came back to the island today making air bubbles around her feet. That girl's up to something." 

"Fourth." Asami interjected.

Opal looked at her, confused. "What?"

"You're the  _fourth_  best airbender in the world."

The other three suddenly remembered the anarchist floating beneath a mountain miles away.

"Anyway, don't worry about the hair," comforted Asami, trying to gloss over the awkward situation she'd created. "It's only temporary. You'll look cute with short hair."

Korra grinned at her girlfriend. "Easy for you to say. Yours is always perfect. It defies reason." Then she tousled her own hair. "Glad Avatars don't have to get their own tattooed when learning airbending."

"Says the woman with the same two indestructible locks going across her forehead at all times. Even when it got all staticky from lightning, they were still there." Asami scrutinized Korra's hair for a moment before she started toying with it.

"Um, Asami, what are you doing to my hair?"

She brushed Korra's hair from right to left. "Testing something out. Hold on, let me get a mirror."

Asami reached into her handbag to pull out a mirror, and turned back to her girlfriend.

Korra's hair was back in place. Her hands had still been in Asami's peripheral vision, she couldn't have moved.

"How-"

"SO KORRA," blurted Bolin, "have you been practicing lavabending moves?" 

Korra grumpily replied "Yes. I can sort of make dirt warmer, but I still can't create lava on my own."

"But you  _can_ control lava that's already there. A little bit," he said, trying to elicit some enthusiasm for his skill.

She wasn't having it. "Oh, of course, I'm sure that'll be really helpful if I'm ever fighting in the mouth of a volcano." 

"Or, y'know, if I've got your back. Fightin' side-by-side, the two of us! I'll make lava, you can chuck it the bad guys!"

"Let's not chuck lava at people unless it's really necessary." said Opal. "Still, Korra, if you can heat earth, maybe you could, oh, light coal on fire by heating it, and throw that."

"But...I'm a firebender. I wouldn't need this technique to set coal on fire. Or to burn things."

"Oh, right, um...sorry, I guess I'm no help on this one." Opal gave up on suggestions and returned to her noodles. "I guess you won't have lavabending to use tomorrow."

"I've got plenty of other tricks up my sleeve." Korra wasn't phased at all. "Relax, Opal. It's been a rough couple days for all of us. Well, except Bolin. Let's _not_ worry about impending doom for one evening, okay?"

 

* * *

 

A few hours later, they were the last customers in the joint, and had to be asked to leave.

Opal and Bolin waved goodbye as Korra and Asami drove off, opting to take a long walk back through the city streets, then Opal could pick up her staff and fly to Air Temple Island.

"Those kids are gonna be aaaaallll right," said Bolin.

"Um, aren't they a year or two older than we are?"

"So nice to see young people in love," he said wistfully.

Opal couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Well, it's interesting to see them getting used to each other. I'll admit, Korra had me worried, but they seem in good spirits."

"Speaking of spirits, I'm just realizing you've never taken me on a tour of the spirit wilds."

"It's not exciting. That's why we let the inexperienced airbenders do it. You can only walk the tour route so many times before it gets  _really_  boring."

"Are you talking trash about Republic City?" chided Bolin.

"I still prefer Zaofu's metal to the concrete, but yeah, I do like your home town," she said leaning on him as they walked through streets, pointing out all the different vines, reciting whatever she remembered while Bolin listened, rapt with attention in-between asking silly questions about how long the vines would tolerate being poked with sticks.

The moment didn't last long, as Opal stifled a gasp and pulled a very confused Bolin down behind a wall.

But he looked to where she was pointing, and understood.

The metalbender was visible down the alleyway, doing... _something_  with the spirit vines. Opal and Bolin cautiously moved closer, still hidden, to get a look. Cables were extending from her arms, fraying, the countless thin wires needling there way into the oddly pulsating spirit vines.

Strangely, the vines weren't striking back, lazily squirming in response to the contact.

As Opal crouched, some random, loose cobblestone scraped audibly against the others.

She and Bolin stayed as still as possible, hidden behind the stone wall, hoping the target would write it off as the wind or something.

The wall sank into the ground in less then a second, leaving them completely without cover as the metalbender silently stared at them from the other side of the street, fists raised, ready for a fight.

After hesitating a second, Bolin formed a moat of lava between them, and the metalbender took a few cautious steps back from the expanding pool of glowing, molten earth, head twitching back and forth, studying this rare, unanticipated ability.

Opal looked ready to bend a hurricane at the enemy.

"Opal, STOP!" shouted Bolin. Reluctantly, his girlfriend backed down, and he turned to the metalbender and raised his hands peacefully. "Hi there! It's 'Eboshi', right? We've heard a lot about you. We're going along with your plan, y'know, with the celebration tomorrow, thanks for the heads up, and, um, we don't want to fight you." He glanced back towards Opal, her face making it clear he did  _not_ speak for her.  

But after a few seconds of him pleading through awkward facial expressions, Opal took a deep breath, calmed herself, and stepped back behind Bolin. "Yep. Don't want to fight at all."

The metalbender slowly lowered her arms.

"Again, thanks again for the info. We would've had to improvise if you hadn't told us anything. We're used to that, but you made things a lot easier." He smiled as kindly as he could. "You probably saved a lot of people's lives."

The metalbender still said nothing, but Bolin could see those metal fists slowly unclench and relax.

All three of them stared at each other.

Unsure what to say next, having no actual plan, Bolin struggled to come up with something good only to stand there with his mouth open, not actually producing any words.

Opal waited for him to say something, but realized, slowly,  _it's Bolin_ , he doesn't have a plan.

Eboshi waited patiently on both of them for a minute, unmoving, before she turned around, calmly walked away from the idiots, approached a nearby building, and kept walking.

She walked  _straight up the wall_ , while Opal and Bolin watched and gaped.  

"What the heck am I looking at?" asked Bolin.

Opal grimaced at the display of skill. "It's called 'magnetism'. Grandma Toph told me some earthbenders from around Ba Sing Se can cling to earthen surfaces without additional support. This must be what she was talking about."

Bolin considered how useful that ability would've been in his pro-bending days for a second while the two of them stared at each other, unsure what to do.

"Maaaaaybe we should let her go..." suggested Bolin. "I don't think we're gonna win this one."

Opal was having trouble deciding, too. She thought about there chances for a second, but figured they probably had a better shot than anyone except for Korra. Not many people these days had any experience fighting airbenders, and considering the was she'd reacted, the metalbender obviously wasn't prepared to deal with lava. "No. We're not going to get another chance like this. Come on!"

Her target had already ascended three stories when Opal rode an air scooter up the wall, then hit the enemy with a power blast of air, trying to work with gravity to knock her down to the ground.

But Eboshi didn't budge a millimeter, solidly stuck to the building's surface, then continued to climb after Opal ran out of energy to keep the air moving. The airbender flew in to try and land a kick at her opponent's chest.

Her leg made contact, and got stuck. Not deflected off of the light armor, but _stuck_. The metal had warped to envelope her foot, shifting to hold her in place, while she still hadn't manage to hurt her opponent at all. 

As Opal struggled to stay balanced in this weird position, she felt a jolt of fear and cold metal fingers wrapping around her ankle.

 _Try to stop the fighting, or help Opal?_  thought Bolin.

Opal cried out in pain as she was hurled to the ground. She cushioned the fall with a burst of air, but it still looked like it hurt.

_Help Opal it is._

"Okay if, you _really_ wanna fight-"

He melted the street around him and launched a four-story wave of lava at the building, devastating it as the metalbender launched her cable-mounted hands to the neighboring structure and swung out of the way, Opal recovering, in pursuit, and very, _very_ angry.

Bolin wasn't sure what to do as he watched the two women leaping from building to building, Eboshi grappling with her hands and running up vertical surfaces, while Opal launched herself from any platform she could find and took shots whenever the metalbender detached from a surface, and dodging the steel girders that were getting ripped out of the building's structure, bricks and mortar getting shaken off as they were hurled through the air like spears.

Watching an earthbender matching an airbender in agility was a weird sight.

He lobbed masses of lava, melting more and more of the building's exterior while both Opal deftly avoided the glowing masses, trying to corner their foe. Although the molten projectiles were too slow for him to land a hit, covering more and more area with it forced the metalbender back to the ground in front of Bolin, stattering the pavement on impact.

As he formed another moat to protect himself, one metal hand rocketed from its socket, grabbed Bolin by one of his ankles, pulled him off the ground and slammed the stocky earthbender onto the pavement, knocking him out.

Opal landed behind the metalbender, ready to strike again, but several bricks hit her in the back, knocking her down. But it wasn't an earthbending strike. She turned to see the glowing orange lava enveloping the foundation of the building behind her, cracks forming in what remained, the structure weakened from the removal of the steel supports, until the top corner began to slide away from the rest.

Directly onto her.

Opal tried to airbend the falling stones aways, but couldn't create an air current with enough power. She could only shield her face with her arms and hope not to get completely crushed.

But after a few seconds, she still wasn't dead, much to her surprise.

Breathing quickly as she tried to calm down, she looked up and saw the mass of bricks hovering over her. "Bolin, thank you, I-I-"

The metalbender was standing over her, one arm outstretched, holding the chunk of building a moment longer before casually tossing it aside like a piece of trash.

The airbender nervously got to her feet and stared at her enemy, confused. "Um, thank you-"

Eboshi punched her in the throat, turned away as Opal dropped to the ground, coughing her lungs out, then widened one of the cracks in the ground and disappeared into the infrastructure of the city.

The street was immersed in a bright light, and Opal and Bolin looked up to see a police airship descending onto the scene.

 

* * *

 

Jin was restless, relentlessly pacing the corridors of the _Isonade,_ but it wasn't helping. She hadn't had this much trouble sleeping in years. It couldn't be the cramp quarters the United Forces had built into this thing, she'd been stuck in much worse places without trouble. Something about sleeping beneath a few hundred meters of water pressure wasn't exactly conducive to sweet dreams. 

She stepped into the cargo hold, finding Aelik standing there, heating and bending the steam in their makeshift power plant. Putting out the energy normally provided by a whole team of military lightningbenders was no easy feat. For most benders.

By now she'd observed enough of his style to notice him cooling the water in his own body to avoid overheating himself. Despite her reservations about bending in general, even she had to admit that's a pretty handy skill.

"Don't wear yourself out too much, Aelik. Isn't there a government you're supposed to be demolishing tomorrow? Gotta save your strength."

After a moment of silence, he let the generator come to a stop. The batteries were fully charged by now, anyway.

"I'm touched by your concern. What are you doing up this late?"

Jin thought for a moment if the time really matters when you haven't seen the sun in a few days, but decided not to get into the details with her friend. Maybe _the sun_ was the problem. "I can't sleep."

"I've found meditation to be restful. You should try it."

"Right. Meditating. You've been doing plenty of that yourself. I don't know what you two are talking about in the Spirit World, but you could cut me in a little more."

He looked insulted. "I've offered to teach you. Plenty of times."

"And I told  _you_ to tell me what happens. Between the two of us."

"You know what you need to in order to complete the mission. Like everyone else. That's enough."

She dramatically raised a clenched fist into the air."Ah, yes, soon, nothing will get in the way of anarchy, chaos, pesticide-free vegetables, or whatever we're supposed to stand for."

" _Freedom,_  Jin."

"Yeah, that. Don't you think it's a  _little_  bit ironic that somebody so obsessed with the concept is acting under someone else's orders?" 

The other scoffed. "You're hardly one to talk about irony." He did a double-take and jumped at the glare she was giving him. If looks could kill, that one would have torn his head off.

After making her point, she calmed back down. "Do you really think this is the best use of our time? While we're wasting effort trying to destroy a democratic society, our other target is moving further away."

"It'll pay off tomorrow."

"We have the means to leave. We could take this fancy sub and go to some remote island somewhere," she said, realizing her friend was about to go on a rant.

"We'll eliminate the Republic City government."

"That won't help anything, Aelik."

"People will be free to live without oppressive governments."

"That's not how that works, Aelik."

"We can create a new world."

"Your boss is a dumbass, Aelik."

The steambender gave up on the speech and glared at her.

She gave a dementedly wide, eerie grin right back.

This expressive stand-off continued for several minutes before he gave up and cracked a smile. "Oh, look on the bright side, Jin. If we blow up enough of the place, maybe they'll finally put in that statue of Suki you keep complaining about."

"Hey, she deserves that statue!" she snapped. Jin was feeling a lot more tired, and decided to head back to her quarters. Making fun of her favorite anarchist always took a lot out of her. "I'm going to sleep, and you should too. I'd rather you didn't run out of steam while the RCPD is throwing cables at you, but hey, it's your convoluted plan..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This site really needs a window to pop up and ask "are you sure?" before posting a chapter, or at least move the "edit" and "post" buttons further apart, because this thing got uploaded early while I was trying to edit it.
> 
> So, Ikki's made a new friend. Isn't that sweet...
> 
> And in case you're wondering, yes, "magnetism" is an actual earthbending ability, it's on the wiki article. Some Dai Li members were the only ones to ever use it to cling to walls, though, while Eboshi one-ups them by walking up vertical surfaces. It's esoteric, counterintuitive, and bizarre, so clearly a power I would want her to have.
> 
> As for another villain, rather than plan her from the start, I came up with Jin after publishing the first few chapters, and I am SO glad I did. Aelik needed someone with an actual name and personality to work off of, and was Unalaq-level boring without her. He's still got the weakest personality of my villains, but I'm trying to fix that. She's patching up a lot of weak points in the story.
> 
> Leave comments. I need them to live.


	10. Victory Day

The position near the statue offered Asami a clear view of most of the park, and of course, it was right in front of the stage Raiko would be giving his speech in a few minutes. She looked over every bystander, trying to find any suspicious behavior, figure out who they should expect trouble from. Everyone seemed...normal. More normal than she'd expect, seeing as this was the one-month anniversary of the city enduring invasion, near-annihilation via spirit death ray, and hole in the structure of reality getting torn open within city limits. 

Korra, on the other hand, was trying to shut the crowd _out_ , holding onto a small vine, not quite managing to concentrate without looking conspicuous.

"Sensing anything, Korra?"

"No, nothing unusual, but it's hard to sort through everything in a crowd this size." Korra looked around as everyone seemed to be having a great time in the wake of all the destruction and rebuilding, and took Asami's hand. "I really wish we could relax today. _Really_ relax. This actually could've been fun."

"Don't. Worry, if everything goes _really_ badly, Raiko will probably schedule another one of these things next month," came Opal's voice from behind them as she walked up with Bolin.

"What are you two doing here? You ought to be resting," said Korra.

"This is too important. Don't act like you couldn't use our help," implored Bolin.

"Also, I'm not going to let the other airbenders face terrorists _again_ without trying to help," added Opal.

"Besides, it's not like I'm a stranger to getting tossed around," reassured Bolin, recalling his pro-bending days while clutching his shoulder. "Oooo, I'm not as young as I used to be."

"Um, not that I want you to suffer or anything, but why aren't you being held at the police station?" asked Asami. "Just because the place was deserted doesn't mean you two didn't destroy a bunch of city property."

"Well, It helps when your aunt in the Chief of Police."

Asami raised an eyebrow. "Beifong let you out? That...doesn't seem like something she would do."

"It is when she knows the one responsible for you being there is the reason she's on painkillers and is moving slower." Opal rubbed her throat, which pulled the collar of her wingsuit down enough to show the bruises. "We really need to get that freak." She eyed Korra for a moment. "Well, _you_ need to get that freak. Frankly, I'm willing to sit that fight out. Be sure to punch her in the throat a few times. For me." She gave a rather tired-looking smile.

"I don't think you'll have any better a time today. Please, go home while you still have the chance," said Korra.

"Korra, we're fine. Kinda sore, but fine." Bolin got into a solid stance. "Ready to fight!" He took a practice jab, and tried to pretend he didn't flinch in pain when his arm fully outstretched.

"Keep your voice down, bro," said Mako, making his way towards them, and looking wary of the crowd. "Don't want anyone to hear you talking about you-know-what."

"How are things looking? Is your, i don't know, cop-sense picking anything up?" asked Korra.

Mako nodded. "Everyone available is on the scene. Everything's in place. Now we're waiting to see if our tip was true or not."

Asami came between them, pointing to direct their attention to Raiko, who was taking the stage to address the crowd, Tenzin and Lin standing to the side of him. Despite his experience in the spotlight, he looked incredibly uncomfortable, and the press looked like they were eagerly taking notes before he'd even adjusted the microphone.

**"Citizens of Republic City, it is my great honor to welcome you to the Victory Day celebration. Only one month ago, the Earth Empire threatened our Republic, but thanks to the brave efforts of the United Forces, the Air Nation, and of course, Avatar Korra, our city stood strong. It is my hope that this momentum will bring new prosperity to our city, and to the rest of the world."**

People were smiling, enjoying this welcome break from the drudgery of cleaning up the city, of adjusting to new living conditions for those whose homes had been destroyed, of walking past the war machines of the Earth Empire.

Meanwhile, everyone on Team Avatar and their allies knew any second could bring a terrorist attack, with a potential for civilian casualties unseen since the Equalist assault on the pro-bending arena. They knew the enemy was nearby, everyone was in position, everything was in place.

And absolutely nothing was happening.

While the president continued his speech, Mako was feeling more unsettled each second. "Maybe what's-her-name was lying?"

The second the words were out of his mouth, the park's lake vaporized.

 

* * *

 

As sirens rang in the distance across the bay, the guards on the docks all looked out over the water, fruitlessly trying to get a look at whatever calamity was wrecking the city _this_ time, only one of them doing her job and noticing the approaching civilian, walking over to stop her.

"Excuse me, miss, I'm sorry, but this area is off limi-" A punch to the throat cut her off, and several jabs over her torso brought her down, another nearby guard following shortly after.

Jin calmly stepped over their limp, twitching bodies towards the freighters.

Noticing the muffled cries of their colleagues, other guards snapped to attantion, sounding alarms, but it didn't matter. No reinforcements were going to come with so many lives at stake elsewhere.

Five more assailants came at her in close quarters. She kept the chi-blocking to a minimum, making sure they were all still strong enough to stand, then kicked or threw all on them into the water. Another guard shot blasts of flame at her from the deck of the nearest ship, but couldn't land a hit before she threw an electrified bola at him, shocking him unconscious.

The poor schmuck stumbled and fell over the side and into the water, the electricity from the bola conducting through the water and stunning the other floundering guards.

Pausing for a moment, she looked over her handiwork and grinned.

_Still got it._

Lost in thought, she barely snapped out of it in time to dodge a water whip aimed at her head, as a dozen more benders scrambled across the decks of the ships, ready for a fight. Even for Jin, twelve-on-one was pushing her luck.

Running away from the guards, water and fire coming within a hair's length of her feet. she reluctantly pulled out her radio.

"I need backup."

Behind her, and behind her pursuers, the  _Isonade_  immediately emerged in a spray of water at the edge of the dock, several cannons concentrating powerful firebending blasts towards the defenders, burning most of them as the flames scattered before they could reach her. Hatches opened, the crew rushing out and sliding along walkways of frozen water to the freighters as the group took out a few straggling opponents.

Jin walked aboard the ship to her left, stretching a her arms a bit as she got ready to help with moving the necessary cargo.

 

* * *

 "Bumi, NOW!" shouted Tenzin, rallying a group of airbenders to him.

The stage assembled in the center of the park fell apart, revealing three sky bison hidden beneath it in an earthbending-made hole Korra dug out beforehand. A pair of airbenders leapt off one of them, grabbed Raiko, and pulled him back. Dozens of smoke bombs detonated around them, their clouds used to cover the bison as they all switched places and flew off in different directions.

Even if the attackers could get enough visibility to see Raiko, they couldn't be sure it was really him and not one of the two body doubles in his suits on the other bison.

The waterbender Lin had placed around the lake were doing a decent job holding the cloud back, buying enough time to get civilians away from the eventual fight.

At least, they  _were_ doing well until they were impacted with slabs of pavement, all of them too injured to fight, a few outright crushed.

"He's got earthbending backup!" shouted Bolin, forming a circle of lava to hold them back, knowing no one else would be able to bend it.

A total of five enemies came into play, one controlling the steam cloud while four others launched rocks at the police. All wearing goggles and robes completely covering their bodies, insulating them from the heat.

Surface to air rocks targeted the bison, forcing them to remain low as the boulders soared over them. One of the decoys was knocked down as the ballistics broke two of the bison's legs, as it roared in pain and plummeted out of the air and crashed, rather messily, into the ground.

Tenzin drew the attention of one enemy, but after realizing the real Raiko wasn't with him, backed off, letting the master bend an air bubble to protect the passengers from the scalding atmosphere.

None of the earthbenders seemed particularly unusual, thankfully, but they were certainly skilled, creating bridges to cross the lava moat and getting closer to the defenders, the steam under the leader's control avoiding them and concentrating on  the police.

The injured bison plummeted to the ground, crashing into several trees. Two of the Red Lotus earthbenders closed in on it, the other pair continuing to launch rocks at the other two fleeing bison, unable to prevent their targets' escape.

The water-bubble trick Korra had practiced was doing its job, blocking and absorbing more and more of the steam while protecting everyone in the area around the stage. The enemy earthbenders were easy to spot, but the steambender maintained enough control over the cloud to keep a large area covered in mist, keeping Korra, or anyone else, from targeting him. The visibility seemed to work both ways; paths through the burning cloud were being.

The enemy had blindspots.

Which meant they could knock the earthbenders into the cloud, and their leader wouldn't know or be able to help them.

Unfortunately, fire was dampened out, the earthbenders were proving more than capable at and they needed all the airbending and waterbending power available to avoid being cooked alive.

Asami was dumping various rocks into her glove and handing it to Bolin. "I have an idea. Bend the earth in the glove, then use it as a projectile."

He felt the earth in the glove, and used it as a precise projectile, launching it at the enemies. One grunt got shocked, but as the glove closed in on their leader, water condensed around it and shorted it out.

And with those suits on, even the one person it his was insulated enough to get back up after moment

Asami looked a bit dejected as she took cover, having nothing else to fight with at the ranges everyone else was throwing around the elements, and Bolin gave her a quick, encouraging smile before switching back to lavabending and deflecting any rocks thrown at the two of them, while Korra shifted focus onto the damn cloud of scalding vapor.

It seemed to be getter hotter and hotter.

Even with the airbenders helping her force it back, the heat was overpowering, and Korra realized exactly how dangerous her opponent was. 

This wasn't some puny boiler with a single jet. The entire park was being overwhelmed by the heat of the thick, expanding cloud. Chunks of earth were flying left and right, forcing Korra to avoid being crushed while keeping up the defense. Several police officers weren't so agile.

The trees _were_ _cooking_. 

Korra watched the chaos, and scolded herself for a moment over her time management.

_Maybe I should have listened to Asami and practiced more instead of taking her to the Spirit World..._

The water bubble trick was working, providing a path for the few civilians remaining to escape though her side of the park, but even if she took out the steambender right now, this cloud wouldn't dissipate immediately. 

The police were having a hard time of it, earthbending officers opening holes into the tunnels, evacuating hundreds of screaming civilians. Waterbending officers helped airbenders push back the expanding cloud, but even though the steam wasn't reaching them, the heat conducted through the air was enough on its own to make everyone sweat.

Thankfully, they were able to get innocent lives away from the chaos, and the Red Lotus didn't seem interested in going after the civilians.

Despite struggling a moment before, once Korra had entered the Avatar State, the entire cloud expanded away from her and her friends, the sudden change in pressure knocking the Red Lotus members back.

Even with her power enhanced, the wet air was dampening out her firebending.

Air, earth, and water, however, were all working perfectly, and she tore dozens of small chunks out of the earth, throwing them at high speed towards the enemy from every direction. But as they passed into the cloud, water condensed around them, unable to stop them while competing with Korra's raw power, but slowing them down enough to be dodged.

She engaged in a tug of water with her enemy. Korra was easily more powerful, but while she was controlling the steam with overpowering force, her adversary was experienced with this particular style. She was gaining ground, but not as fast as she'd like.

Swirling the air around one arm, and pulling back the other for a firebending blast, Korra combined the elements into an explosive force that blasted back all the steam between her and her target.

The steambender concentrated the entire cloud at her, uselessly trying to slow her down, while one of his entourage fired a signal flare into the sky.

 

* * *

 

Lin was on the offensive, moving into the hot mass to try and take out the enemy benders, while shouting orders into her radio. 

"Where are the airships? We need air support!"

She was accompanied by Opal, who was bending a bubble of air to keep the steam cloud at bay, and Mako, who was futilely trying to shoot flames into saturated air, and too worried by the potential disaster a lightning bolt could cause, but unable to come up with anything useful to do. After coming to back up his boss, the steam cloud cut him off from civilians he could be helping get out of the area.

The officer on the other end of the line spoke nervously. "They've, um, they've been sabotaged, ma'am."

"What?" asked Mako. "How? Guards were placed on all of them."

The technician answered, "It wasn't the airships, exactly. The valves on our fuel supplies were all mangled. The airships be floating dead before long without refueling."

Lin backhanded an rock flying at her, then struck the ground with her heel to pull up a protective wall around the three of them. "Well, have some metalbenders fix the damn valves!"

"The valves are specially designed, they're not that simple to fix-"

"Then make a pipeline of your own to the airships! We need air support, NOW!"

"Right. Uh. We're on it!" the officer said as the transmission ended, obviously with no idea how to fulfill her demands.

 _It's gonna be one of_ those _days._  

"We're not getting any backup, are we, Aunt Lin?" asked Opal, panting and taking a moment to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

Lin grunted in the negative as she launched a few rocks of her own at the retreating assailants, followed up with her cables, trying to capture at least one while fighting the pain in her back.

She quickly got a cable around one anarchist's ankle, dragging him back towards her, before a water whip condensed out of the steam cloud and cut the metal.

The whip then froze solid, and flew at high speed towards Opal, who screamed in agony as it stabbed her in the shoulder, and then boiling away into another extension of the cloud forming around Lin and Opal.

Mako rushed to Opal and bent a small flame to cauterize the wound shut, carefully preparing to carry her to safety, increasingly conscious of their sudden exposure without her airbending keeping them safe.

To avoid being cooked alive, Lin dug a hole down for the three of them, covered the opening, and started working her way back to Korra while Mako carried her bleeding niece.

Through the earth, she could feel her target running away to rejoin his group.

Along with the entire park shaking apart.

 

* * *

 

"Everything we need loaded?" asked Jin.

"Yes," replied Liu.

"Everything we don't need  _unloaded?_ "

"Yeah."

Jin turned to give a quick little wave to the surviving United Forces captives, now sitting on the dock, tied up and covered in bruises. They'd live, against the better judgement of everyone. Unfortunately, they'd agreed to operate under certain restrictions regarding enemy combatants.

That touching little display of mercy also wouldn't do much to deter the five United Forces battleships bearing down on them.

_How helpful of them to get nice and close._

Behind the enemy ships, she saw a red flare shot into the sky.

_Aelik's in trouble. Great._

_You poor dope, security's giving you more than you bargained for, isn't it? See, this is why if you want to eliminate government officials, you do it quietly, in their own home. Forget the spectacle, at least when on enemy turf._

She rushed down into the ship, closing the hatch behind her.

"Bridge, is everything turned off?"

"Yes, ma'am. We're good to go."

Jin took another look at the approaching ships, now close enough for the crew to be seen preparing their weapons to attack.

_Oh, I've been waiting so long for this._

_Ready for another round, general?_

She nodded to the crewer operating the cluster of EMPs. "Hit it."

One flip of a switch later, the battleships began losing momentum, drifting, control over their systems gone. Two of them scraped against each other, propelled helpless by the waves.

_I wonder how many of his ships need to get wrecked on his watch before he's demoted..._

A minute later, the  _Isonade's_  full-charged batterieshad brought it's equipment back to life. It sank underwater, and began torpedoing the  freighters and blasting apart the engines of the battleships, plunging thousands of tons of steel into the bay and forcing their crews to abandon ship.

 

* * *

 

In spite of the concentration needed to control the Avatar State, Korra noticed the spotlights around the stage shorted out.

_What the hell?_

She glanced down to Asami, who had noticed the same failure, but neither of them had much time to think about mechanical failures of the city's infrastructure.

The light from her eyes flared up again, she felt the mass of the cloud, and in less than a second, froze all the steam into a single mass of ice, which dropped a few meters to the ground and shattered apart on impact.

The enemy earthbenders only had a few seconds to take in the sight before Korra kicked the ground once and sent the terrain they were standing on flying back. 

The steambender wasn't hesitating, bending and heating what liquid water remained. Korra got ready to finish him off, then looked at the new steam sources and figured out his strategy. He wasn't targeting civilians or officers.

He was condensing shards of ice and attacking  _the spirit vines._ And once they'd been punctured, the steambender forced boiling water into the openings, causing them to swell and blister and writhe in pain, or at least to whatever extent the vines could feel

It was only a small cluster of them, the park having been mostly untouched compare to the rest of the city during Unavaatu's attack.

It shouldn't have been a problem.

The ground broke apart, and thick, hundred-meter long vines erupted from their dormant state residing in the now unused waterways of the city, swinging around and indiscriminately swiping at everything in the park.

Possibly out in the rest of the city, as well.

For added cover, the steambender used the diversion provided by the vines and tore off a chunk of ice to reform part of the cloud, condensing it into a thick fog to cover the escape, taking advantage of the chaos as the five-man squad fled into one of the newly open pathways, safely out of sight and beneath the notice of the enraged quasi-plants.

As the vines went into a pained frenzy, Korra exited the Avatar State, trying to think her way out of the situation.

First things first, extracting the hot water from the first injured vine, hopefully calming the spirits down.

Then, bending walls of earth around the park to keep the things contained, and trying to bury them again. Korra managed to overpower them briefly, but they were only under control for a brief moment before bursting through again, focusing their attention on her.

Korra's eyes flashed again, and she started bending the energy within the vines, quelling it, controlling it.

After getting a few more thrashes in, the vines calmed, and retracted back into there pipes.

With that threat dealt with, Korra tried to reach through the vines to locate the Red Lotus members, but they were long gone.

  

* * *

 

With officers present to secure the celebration, and many others still recuperating in the hospital, no one was available to guard the Spirit Portal.

Except Officer Li.

Sirens continued to go off in the distance, emergency vehicles sped along their way, but she'd been given strict orders to remain in position. For whatever reason.

No, no, she knew the reason. Everyone thought she can only ever make situations worse.

_It's not like I'm supposed to come to people's aid._

She took a few steps, ready to head out and respond to whatever disaster was happening this week, then reluctantly glanced back at her post.

After mulling over how pissed off Chief Beifong would be if she disobeyed orders, and how many people, civilians and peers alike, might be saved if she help, Li headed towards the last remaining car.

_It's just a big dumb portal to another dimension, how likely is it that someone will---OH FUCK!_

That fucking metalbender was standing at the edge of the crater, and was walking straight towards Li. The officer bent a flame in her hands, her back to the portal, ready to defend herself.

_Will this even do anything?_

Heavy metal feet stomped the ground as they came closer.

 _Well, shit, I’ve gotta try_ something _, now, no holding back like at the warehouse, I can...definitely do this._

The armored freak reached the bottom of the crater.

_Oh shit of shit oh shit I knew it, I knew I was going to die next this fucking thing, no one listened to me, Mako said I was going crazy from lack of sleep, WELL WHO'S CRAZY NOW, SHARKBROWS?!_

Eboshi turned slightly to walk around the petrified firebender, not bothering to attack, and otherwise paid no attention to the officer as she vanished into the portal.

 

* * *

 

The _Isonade_ waited a few meters below the water line at the extraction point, Jin standing beneath the main access hatch. A radio signal gave them the cue to raise the ship above the surface, ready to retrieve their comrades. She opened the hatch, watching the battered team awkwardly move across a small ice bridge from the shore, then ushering into the ship, descending down the path to the waiting rescue below. Aelik led the way while Ahn and Yuhang carried...she couldn't remember the other guy's name, but he looked hurt. Kim held back, sealing the drainage pipe they came out of with a wall of dirt.

"What happened? Why are you running, and-" Jin got her answer a second later, looking flabbergasted at the mass of writhing spirit vines pursuing them, bursting out of the sewer they had no doubt clogged with their sheer numbers, smashing the newly-created barrier.  _"_ Aelik _, what the fuck did you DO?_ "

"We failed. I had to improvise," he said through shallow breath, shrugging while Liu and two other firebenders shot flame after flame, trying to ward off the vines and cover their retreat back into the ship.

"What, did you decide you hadn't pissed off enough humans, and needed to make the spirits mad, too?" With the team retrieved, Jin snapped her fingers to get the three defenders' attention. "Get in get in getingetingetinGETIN!"

Aelik, drawing on his own element, tried to fight off the vines while he stepped down into the safety of the ship himself, freezing several of the approaching vines in the water of the bay, only for the fleshy tendrils to swell and shatter the ice and focus on him.

"We encountered unexpected resistance. I'm sure you'd have had an even worse time... _little help here!_ " he pleaded as the vines extended into the ship, swiping at him, the only person still trying to fight them off.

"Speak for yourself. I accomplished everything I was supposed to, and I did it with heavy resistance _and_  incoming UF warships," she countered, uninterested in the angered spirits.

"Jin!" he implored, slicing through vines with a water whip only to find their tendrils regrowing and multiplying faster than he could cut them up.

" _And_ I did it with enough time to spare to come and pull your ass out of the fire!"

"JIN!" he shouted, vines wrapping themselves around his limbs. "Quit mouthing off and use mertbhmtugnagmd-" a vine covered up his mouth.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," she disregarded her partner's struggle, leisurely making her way to trigger an emergency hatch seal, the hydraulically powered steel door cutting though the vines. As Aelik collapsed and caught his breath, again, she gathered up the lifeless plants, reopened the hatch, and quickly chucked them out. "See? I had it all under control."

She knocked away a small spirit vine which tried to enter the hatch before sealing it again, though dozens of others could be heard rubbing against the metal before the bay's water enveloped the submarine and pushed most of them off. "Had a great time, actually. I might have indirectly killed General Iroh. Probably not, but I definitely pissed him the hell off. Thats what, fifteen ships of yours I've help sink?! YOU ASS!", She shouted upwards at the hatch, more at life in general than Iroh in particular..

She grimly scoffed to herself as she helped Aelik to his feet, supporting him as they moved to debrief the others.

With all the hatches sealed, the sub sped away towards the open ocean, the few vines still clinging to the hull ripped off by the drag of the current.

 

* * *

 

Korra paced back and forth in the lobby of the police station, running through the fight in her head, while Asami quietly waited on one of the benches.

"Korra, it's fine," Asami said calmly, looking through magazines.

Running her fingers through her hair, Korra wasn't sharing her girlfriend's steadiness. "No, it's not. This was a disaster. We weren't able to capture the assassin, that submarine warship is still out there, it's got who-knows-what kind of equipment now, that metalbender is in the Spirit World for some reason and-and _why_ are you smiling?!"

"Because _I_  know what kind of equipment it stole. Or at least I will soon." She pulled out a small radio receiver from her bag. "It took some doing to get everything arranged, but I had low-frequency radio transmitters stored within the hardware on those ships. Different component, different frequency. We just need to figure out how many are left, and we'll know what was stolen, and in what quantity, without waiting for the salvage operation to complete. _And_ , if they don't find them fast enough, the next time the  _Isonade_ surfaces, the UF can get a fix on its position."

Korra took a moment to inspect the device, realizing the implications. "This is great!" 

Asami smiled, nowhere near ready to stop this little streak. "That's not all. The freighters were bugged. For the last few days, listening devices have been transmitting to recording stations. Whatever these terrorists talked about, we'll know." 

"Why did you do all this?" asked Korra.

"Because trying to protect these things obviously wasn't working or going to work, so I turned it into a trap. I'd hoped the guards General Iroh stationed there would be able to handle things, but I guess everything going our way was a bit much to hope for." She looked back at Korra. "There's one other important things we learned."

"What?"

"That steambender is an incredibly dangerous opponent. And you can totally kick his ass."

The two embraced and began making out in the middle of the lobby. Surrounded by various others there to be debriefed by the police.

"Excuse me. _Ahem._ "

They turned to see Mako signaling them to follow him to Chief Beifong's office. Feeling a bit awkward at the interruption, but still rather, they came in to see a rather annoyed Lin, who was looking rather annoyed by their good moods given the state of things.

"What?" Korra said petulantly, still with her arm around Asami's waist. "My girlfriend's a genius and is smarter than the Red Lotus."

"Girlfriend?" the chief inquired.

"Um, _yes_." Asami said.

"I, well, didn't know you two were an item," she replied, not really that interested. "What, you think I care about the details of your personal lives? I have criminals to deal with."

Mako smirked at his boss. "Aren't you supposed to be a detective?"

Lin was about to point out her record of dealing with insubordination, and their respective positions in the police force hierarchy, before stopping and giving a wry smirk. "Say, didn't you date Asami _and_ Korra before joining the force?"

"You're too late, Chief, Bolin's made every possible joke. Several times each." 

Wanting to get off the topic, Lin jerked the conversation back to the actual reason she'd come. "Hate to break up this little moment, and I'd like to get to subject of today's attack, but something else has come up."

"There was _another_ target?" Korra said exhaustedly.

"Not exactly. I just got word from the White Lotus's prison: Zaheer wants to talk to you."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp. I killed Oogie.
> 
> Wooooooo finally got over writer's block and finished this. All the time and effort of writing everything up to now was totally worth it for "WHO'S CRAZY NOW, SHARKBROWS". It...still isn't quite how I want it, but it's coherent and has everything necessary and I REALLY need to publish this, I've been lazing around on it for too long.
> 
> Also, don't ask me why the Avatarverse has the technology for flare guns but not regular guns...I don't have a good answer. Other than that, be sure to leave a comment about what you liked, what you didn't, anything.


	11. So, What's the Plan?

"Well, Avatar, the president of the United Republic is safe. Nicely done," said Lin, while closing her eyes and nodding approvingly a few times, then opening them back up and glaring at Korra. "Unfortunately, that little fight wrecked most of the park, and drove spirit vines all over the city into a frenzy."

"This wasn't my fault! Don't blame me for not stopping everything every bad guy tries to do. Mako, back me up here!"

Mako glanced back and forth, increasingly uncomfortable and unwilling to pick a side in an argument between his more-irritable-than-normal boss and both of his ex-girlfriends. 

"Go back to the part where Zaheer's trying to get into contact with Korra," said Asami.

"The White Lotus runs the prison, and are informed to contact United Republic authorities if anything important happens with our favorite prisoner. Shortly after the attack, he told the sentry watching him he had information regarding our heavily-armored informant and her whereabouts."

"I have my own source of information," said Asami, "The freighter the second Red Lotus team stole from was bugged. That'll tell us a lot more useful information than the guy who, let's face it, probably masterminded this." 

"Those freighters are privately owned. You got listening devices installed in them, how, exactly?" asked Mako.

"With approval from General Iroh and the United Forces," explained Asami. "They can get you the recordings."

Lin gave a small grin in Asami's general direction.

"Good work. Mako, take a look at whatever information Asami's found."

"And I'll go talk to Zaheer...?" suggested Korra hesitantly.

"I can get you cleared to see him, if that's what you want. But personally, I'd ignore him. The only reason I bothered telling you is in case this all goes to hell because you didn't know about this, at least it won't be my fault."

"Nice to see you're still committed to selfless defense of the public after so many years on the force," remarked Asami.

The comment didn't garner any reaction from the chief. "Look Korra, whatever he wants to say will be part of his own agenda, while keeping him in the dark and ignoring the information may throw him off. Get me whatever you've got on the freighters, other than that, you're both free to go," she said, waving the two of them out and preparing to sit through the dozens of other reports.

"Every lead should be looked into, right?" Korra asked Asami. "What do you think?"

Despite unease at sending Korra to face Zaheer, Asami tried to look supportive while leading Korra through police headquarters.

"We'll talk on the drive over."

 

* * *

 

Maneuvering around traffic on their way to the city limits, Asami and Korra both tried to think of ways to break the silence as each second brought them closer to their destination.

The situation was straightforward. Zaheer had specifically asked to talk to Korra, and after today's events, any information he disclosed could be useful. Korra was confident Asami could outthink him, and he had no way of knowing about the Red Lotus' information leak.

"Do you really think he'll tell us anything useful?" Asami asked skeptically, trying to finally get the conversation moving.

Korra shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. You may have listened in on the people at the freighter, but we still don't have much on Eboshi, right? It's not like it would waste much of my time to at least listen to him."

"But it doesn't make sense for him to offer useable information on her. It's entirely possible she gets orders directly from him."

"She tipped us off about the attack. Maybe he knew she wasn't really on their side?"

Asami took one hand off the wheel, massaging the side of her head. "That's possible, but if he knew that already, shouldn't the attack have been called off? She tried to use us against the Red Lotus. But why would Zaheer try to use us against her? I thought maybe this was all part of some increasingly elaborate scheme, trying to earn our trust by providing information as a setup for something bigger. Then I thought 'Where do you go from assassinating a head of state'. I also realized if the plan is to use Eboshi as a mole, she's a terrible choice. An uncommunicative, intimidating loner, not the kind of person who can ingratiate themselves in a group of potential enemies. Much as I don't like it, maybe talking to Zaheer will actually help me make sense of all this. "

"In other words, we roll with it."

"Yeah," said Asami grimly as the two went back to a tense silence until reaching the White Lotus prison. 

 

* * *

 

The two of them listened intently to the security procedures as the metalbending White Lotus sentry lead them deeper into the earth.

"All right, last checkpoint," she said, motioning to the metal wall. "We have at least two guards watching him from adjacent chambers at all times, an they'll be monitoring your conversation. I don't expect him to pose a serious threat to _you_ , Avatar Korra, but if he tries anything, it'll take several seconds for us to open the door to help you. Last time he was kept in complete isolation, he was able to practice airbending in secret, and got the jump on his guards. Not this time."

"What does he even do in there?" asked Asami.

"Meditating! All the time. Every day. Floating in there. The Avatar's little visit last month was a big event," said the sentry, running out of breath as she opened the next lock.

"It's nice to bring some excitement to people's lives," mused Korra. 

Asami, still rather on edge about the whole arrangement, pulled Korra back. "How are you feeling about this? You don't have to face him."

"Could you give us minute?" asked Korra, turning to the guard.

The sentry looked around the cavern, but couldn't do much beyond stepping as far away from them as the confined space allowed and turning away from the couple. "Sorry, but, y'know, _cavern._ " 

"It'll have to do," accepted Asami.

"I'm not going to walk away from this. If I can get anything at all useful from him, I've got to try."

Asami she pulled Korra closer. "We can't let him know how much we know. About the Red Lotus crew, their abilities, Eboshi, nothing."

"I know. No mention of anyone else. I'll listen to what he wants to say, and leave."

"Are you sure you're okay with this? I'm sure we can come up with another option."

"Only one way to find out," said Korra, turning to face the sentry. "Hey! I'm ready to head in," she said to the guard. "Here I go."

"Be careful."

 

* * *

 

Aelik was bruised and sore from the fight, but kept up appearances as he stormed down the corridor to his quarters, Jin trailing behind him and watching his pained movements closely. It might fool the other escapees, but she was more experienced at reading movements. 

Of course, he could have simply gotten their healer to take a look, but he was too busy attending to the earthbenders' injuries. Really, it was luck the five of them had all made it out in one piece.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" she asked as they took a turn, forcing the steambender to visibly slow his pace so he didn't mess up his leg.

"I need to report what happened."

"Which is what, exactly?"

"The president escaped." 

"Really?  _Good_."

"Jin..."

His companion didn't even try to hide her amusement. "Oh, don't act so shocked. You know I didn't want to kill him. Heck, I would have voted for the guy. If I could legally vote." She raised a clenched fist, smiling. "Power to the non-benders!" She lowered her hand and tilted her head, pondering. "Hm. Wait, what are my voting rights? I was never actually convicted of anything, I'd just need to register..." she trailed off, thinking.

"I'm no legal expert, but I don't think not being tried and convicted means you aren't still a wanted terrorist."

"And if I wasn't before, I certainly am now. Thanks to your wacky scheme. And stupid accomplices," she said as she opened the hatch to Aelik's quarters so Mr. Tough Guy wouldn't tear up his shoulder trying to open it, politely/sarcastically waving him into his room.

"Hey,  _I'm_ an anarchist, not a terrorist." 

"Because boiling people's faces off doesn't help spread terror at all." 

"Doesn't count. They don't stay scared after that. Because they're dead," he explained as he clumsily sat down on the floor, getting into a half-lotus position.

"President Raiko is still alive. And probably scared shitless. You sure we really need to kill him? Won't the vice president step in? Who the hell is the Republic's VP, anyway?" wondered Jin, realizing how little she knew about modern politics.

"Raiko represents a government designed to keep people oppressed."

"Aelik, he's an elected official! _Elected_."

"He's a puppet for for the wealthy. His campaign was bought by that idiot, Varrick."

Jin paused for a moment before staring nonplussed at her friend. "If that's the case, shouldn't we target the wealthy upper class, not governments in general?"

Aelik stared at her blankly for a moment before closing his eyes and getting back to concentrating on entering the Spirit World. "Leave. You're disrupting my focus."

Oblivious of the various rude faces and obscene gestures Jin was making at him now that his eyes were closed, Aelik meditated into the Spirit World, and waited.

 

* * *

 

The subterranean room was as daunting as the last time Korra had been there, the dim green glow of the crystals casting harsh shadows from every outcropping in the walls.. Zaheer, chained to the ground, floated in the center of the prison, the light coming from all directions giving him an eerily consistent green glow.

"I'm surprised to see you here so soon," remarked Zaheer. "I see Beifong is becoming more lenient with her security procedures."

_Ignore that. Stay focused._

"You said you had information on that metalbender who's been giving us trouble, so tell me. Who are they? What do they want?"

"Her name is Eboshi," he said as Korra feigned intrigue at the mention of the 'new' name. "She's been working for us in exchange for various rare texts and other pieces of information, and we are aware she's at Wan Shi Tong's library."

"That's all you've got? A name, vague motive, and a location?"

"It's more than you had before."

_He's not wrong._

"Why are you telling me this? Why would you want me to go after her?"

_Maybe he really doesn't know what's going on._

_Keep following Asami's advice._

Zaheer closed his eyes again, going back to floating and being generally unhelpful.

"Seriously?" said Korra, rather annoyed at having come here for a conversation that took less than a minute.

"You don't have much of a choice. You've seen how dangerous she is. Now you know where to find her, and you're going to take care of it."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"You couldn't have told the guards that?"

"I could've, but I wanted to guarantee you'd received the message personally."

_Okay, this is too easy._

_On to topic number two._

"And what about your other friends?"

"Who?" said Zaheer, barely even trying to make the question sound like genuine ignorance.

"The guy who tried to kill President Raiko. Bending steam isn't hard, but _making it?_  Plus there's that woman who used a stolen submarine to wipe out five battleships. They're some of yours, right? How did the Red Lotus get their hands on a chi-blocker?"

"There are many people with unusual martial skills, and who want to free people from oppressive governments. It'd be a stretch to say they all work with me."

"He tried to assassinate a head of state, and they took advantage of the situation created by Eboshi, who also works for you. It's not that hard to figure out."

"You know I won't tell you anything."

She thought about saying the other members' names to gauge his reaction, but decided against letting him know how far ahead of them Asami was.

"Yeah, I do."

"So, how's Ms. Sato? I heard all kinds of stories about your eventful excursion into the Spirit World."

_He's trying to push my buttons._

"You certainly have... _interesting_ taste," he continued.

_Why was I scared of this guy?_

Asami's voice echoed in her head.

_"It wasn't him you were afraid of."_

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?" she replied, thinking more an more about bending the air in the cavern to jostle him around the place, but decided not to abuse her power like that.

"Sato is simply not what I'd expect for you. She has practically without any spiritual connection at all."

_Better not tell him anything I don't have to. Don't let him know Asami can enter the Spirit World._

"You're taking time out of trying to manipulate me into doing your dirty work to take shots at my girlfriend? That's where you're at now? I can't believe I used to be scared of you."

"I came close to killing you."

"Yeah, big deal, join the club. Holed up in that mountain prison, did you ever hear about Amon? Now _that_ guy was creepy. Bloodbending any time he wants, with enough skill to permanently damage chi pathways? Creepy, right? And no one is even sure where he went, all anyone found was the debris of a boat. And he gave me nightmares _before_ managing to hurt me." If Korra had to put up with Zaheer, she was going to have fun with it. "Not to mention he got what he wanted, in the end. You, on the other hand, are a pathetic, floating mass of failure and irony who's going to grow old and die chained to the floor of this room."

Korra turned to leave, metalbending the lock herself rather than wait the additional ten second needed to call the sentry.

"Mock me all you want. It doesn't change anything."

"I'll consider what you've told me."

Zaheer went back to his usual routine.

 

* * *

 

The steel airlock slammed shut behind Korra as she walked towards Asami.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it-it's Zaheer, y'know?" said Korra, clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation. "C'mon, let's go."

After finally getting through all the metal checkpoints, and once in the privacy of her car, Asami decided to broach the obvious.

"Well, did you learn anything?"

"Not much we didn't already know. According to him, she's some kind of knowledge seeker who works for the Red Lotus in exchange for ancient texts and other rare information, and that if she's in the Spirit World, she's at Wan Shi Tong's library. I couldn't get anything about the steambender or the chi-blocker out of him, but they're definitely in contact."

At the thought of going back through the portal, Asami cringed slightly. "Then we need to get ready for another trip into the Spirit World. Lovely. When do we leave?"

Korra visibly tensed up, trying to work through a lump in her throat. "Well, about that, I was thinking, since there's won't be anything technical we need help with when it comes to Spirits, and considering how dangerous the target is maybe you should, um, sit this one out."

Asami was silent for a moment. Thinking everything through, what she would contribute if she came, whether or not her skills would be better suited working on something else, how she could help indirectly, if there were other people who could pick up the slack. Then, she nodded in approval.

"Okay."

"You're fine with this?"

"Yes. Your point about whether or not I'd be an asset makes sense. And if I stay in the physical world, I can help the United Forces track down the other Red Lotus members. Besides, I'm sure you can handle Eboshi on your own."

"Thanks," said Korra, running through her options. "If I'm really doing this, I should get moving. We have no idea how long our window of opportunity will last." 

"Whoa, hold on. I'll accept that maybe I'm not the right person for the job. Even so, I don't want you going in on your own. "

"Don't worry, I've got a few choices ready to go," said Korra, about to unfold her glider to fly over traffic. "Meet me at the spirit portal in two hours."

Asami took a right, heading towards midtown. "I'll get some supplies ready for your trip." 

"Sounds perfect."

"Safe flying," she said as she watched Korra take to the air.

 

* * *

  

Opal was in bed, looking in relatively good shape all things considered, Bolin at her bedside, the two of them in the midst of laughing at some story Bolin was telling as Korra entered the hospital room.

"Hi Korra," said Opal, a bit weakly.

"Are you doing okay?" asked Korra.

"Yup. Just stabbed with a giant icicle. And blood loss. And cauterization burns," she said as she clutched her stomach. "A little medical waterbending, and I'm good to go."

"Then why are you still here?"

"I don't want to leave. I want to lie down," she said, sinking back into the hospital bed. "Why are you here? Don't get me wrong, I like having you around, but there's no way you're here just to check up on me." 

Feeling slightly guilty that she'd barely though about Opal, Korra decided to get right to the point. "That metalbender who's been giving everyone trouble? She's in the Spirit World, I have a good idea of where she is, and I'm going after her."

Bolin supported Opal as she leaned up in her bed. "Um, what does this have to do with us?"

"I want you to come with, Bolin."

After a few second's pause, Bolin smiled and got up.

"Okay, sure," he said, before turning his attention to Opal. "As long as you're all right without me." 

"Go. Help Korra. Don't worry about leaving me out of the adventure, I'm sure some new disaster will hit before you get back," she said, with less sarcasm than Korra had expected.

_She's Lin's niece, all right._

_I wonder, if things had worked out between Tenzin and Lin, would their kid have grown up to be like Opal?_

"Uh, Korra?" said Bolin, bringing her back to reality and away from the bizarre mental images she'd been forming. "Let's get going."

"Really? You're ready, right now?" asked Korra.

"You're not dragging me away from important work, and I want to help. There's not much else to discuss."

"Go drown the bad guy in lava, sweetie," call Opal as she turned her attention down to a newspaper.

"Yeesh, Opal, I'm not gonna kill her!"

"Fine, only use it on her feet to immobilize her or something. They're probably made of metal, anyway."

"That's actually not a bad idea," suggested Korra as they walked down the hall.

 

* * *

 

After a swim on Naga's back through the bay, Korra, Asami, and Bolin were running up to the air temple to find Tenzin getting off the phone.

"Korra! Lin told me you were off to see Zaheer. Why didn't you contact me?"

"Tenzin, I'm sorry, but time is kind of a factor here. Zaheer told me where Eboshi's headed, and while he wouldn't say anything, I'm certain he had a hand in planning the assassination attempt."

"This is very disturbing. I'd hoped this was some kind of deception, but if the Red Lotus really is active again, who knows what's coming next. We need to eliminate these terrorists before they cause any more damage."

Airbender philosophy strongly discouraged revenge, but losing a bison...wasn't something the nomads took lightly.

"I need to get in touch with Jinora. Can the radio here reach the northern temple?"

Tenzin escorted the two of them to the temple radio, listening to Korra explain the entire situation. What Zaheer wanted, when she learned, what she wants to do. It took a bit of fiddling for one of the acolytes to get the signal through, considering the distance to the Northern Temple, but eventually they made contact.

"The signal isn't very strong," came Jinora's voice through the radio, along with plenty of static. "I-'s not easy to ma--tain contact from ac--ss the c--tinent. Ho-d -n-"

The transmission cut out abruptly, and several seconds later, Jinora's eerie, glowing blue spirit flickered into the radio room. 

"Now, what am I supposed to do?" she inquired. "I can't help you fight while I'm only a spirit. I won't be able to bend."

"I don't want you to go along to help fight," explained Korra, "I've gotten better at navigating the Spirit World, but you're still the best spiritual guide around. It would be better if you went with me and Bolin, and if something goes wrong, or if some crucial piece of information comes up, you can return to the physical world and keep everyone up to speed."

"That's a little strange, seeing as I don't know what's going on."

_Right. She's been too busy working on the Northern Temple to worry about the latest madness in Republic City._

"Long story short: there's a Red Lotus member in the Spirit World, I'm going after her."

With that small piece of information informing her of how bad the situation might get, Jinora decided to stop asking questions and get down to the task at hand.

"When are you leaving?"

"Right now. The acolytes are packing up some supplies for us, we only needed to contact you before heading for the spirit portal."

"I...guess I could take some time away from work. A lot of the temple's foundation work has been repaired. And we've salvaged a lot of artifacts from the core of the temple now that we finally have the manpower we need to-"

"Jinora..."

Jinora cut herself off, looking a bit embarrassed, but nodded. "I'll meet you on the other side of the Republic City Spirit Portal."

 

* * *

 

With the film strips of the recordings dropped off at the police station, Mako, along with several other officers, had been running through all of them trying to glean something useful.

It wasn't particularly interesting. The theft had only taken a few minutes, but Asami and the United Forces had plastered listening devices and transmitters everywhere, adding up to several hours of recordings.

Most of it was useless, the sound of moving equipment, shouting directions, calls for someone to lend a hand. No names, no plans, nothing of note.

He wrote it all down anyway, to be on the safe side, but still, his patience was wearing thin. 

And then he got lucky, picking up the voice of what sounded like a middle-aged man shouting to someone else.

 **"Hey, Jin, we've got everything we need loaded up."**  

Another voice came in, a woman's this time.

**"What did I tell you about calling each other by name? Not while we're in the field! We don't know if there are any guards still sneaking around!"**

**"Right, sorry, I won't call you by name. Aelik wants the EMP's, right?"**

There was a pause, and what sounded like faint grumbling.

**"I hate you so fucking much."**

**"What?"**

**"Hey, you,"**  she shouted to some third party. **"Remind me to beat this idiot when we're in the clear."**

**"Yes, ma'am."**

**"What, come on! We've search the whole ship. There's nobody here. Who do you think is watching us?"**  

There was a clang as the electronic bug fell to the floor.

**"Oh, I don't know, whoever made _this_."**

There was a hiss of static as the listening device was crushed.

 

* * *

 

Asami checked through the bags she'd filled with supplies for the third time. It had occurred to her that Korra neglected to tell her exactly how many people she'd be bringing and who exactly they were, so she'd headed to the Sato estate and gotten Mako and Bolin's family to stuff as much supplies as possible into the car and hope for the best.

_Let's see..._

_As much canned food as could be fit into the back packs._

_Sleeping bags._

_First aid kit._

_Anti-metalbender explosives to blow that freak to pieces._

The sound of enormous paws hitting the ground drew her eyes away from the bag just in time to see Naga slide to a halt against the dirt and begin licking her while Korra and Bolin climbed down from her back.

"Why is she licking me so muc-oh. I get it," Asami said as Naga turned away from her and began obsessively sniffing the canned food.

"Down, girl," said Korra as she led Naga away from the supplies before looking things over herself. "Asami, thank you! This'll let Bolin and I stay in the Spirit World for at least a week."

"Only Bolin?" asked Asami. "I mean, Bolin, you're perfect for this, but nobody else?"

"That's not all. Jinora's waiting on the other side of the portal to help out with spirit stuff. I know it's not much, but you, Mako, Tenzin, and Lin are all better off in the physical world. Plus, not many other people have the bending prowess needed to deal with a rogue Red Lotus member."

"Don't worry about a thing. I've got everything under control! Combo moves Korra and I can do together, one-liners Mako did _not_ approve of, and my new spirit-whistle," he explained pulling out a crude looking piece of metal. "Got it at the best pawn shop in the city, guaranteed to lull spirits who hear it to sleep."

_Adorable. But not the kind of approach I'm going to place Korra's safety in._

Asami pulled Bolin to the side, staring at him intensely. "Bolin, I'm counting on you to watch Korra's back. I don't want to hear any excuses about how she got hurt because you were too nice to let loose with the lavabending," she said, trying to make a joke of things but sounding rather on edge.

"You know me. I rather not test out exactly how dangerous my bending can be, but don't think for a second I'll let Korra get hurt."

_Okay, then._

Now all they needed was to clear things with the guard.

"You must be Li, right?" said Korra to the exhausted-looking police officer. "I'm the Avatar. I know there are some restrictions and debates about who's allowed to enter the portal-"

"Get in there. I don't care," she said brusquely, shaking a little as she lifted a cup of coffee to her mouth.

"Wait, really?" asked Asami.

"You're Avatar Korra, Bolin the underdog-pro-bender-slash-mover-star, and Asami Sato, head of Future Industries. I know who you all are, and I know, courtesy of Mako's messed up stories about you're adventures together, the longer you three are around me the greater the chances I'll be crushed under a meteor or blown up or something. You porbably have a very good reason for entering the Spirit World, and I want nothing to do with it. "

"Uh, did you just say 'porbably'?" asked Bolin.

"I HAVEN'T SLEPT IN THIRTY HOURS DON'T YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT WORDS."

The trio exchanged various looks of confusion and concern, before saying their brief goodbyes as Korra and Bolin headed into the Spirit World.

 

* * *

 

Proudly handing a pair of folders over to the chief, Mako gave her an opportunity to skim his progress before diving in. 

"Here's what we've got on them." He showed Lin a photo of a woman in her late twenties in an Equalist uniform, sans the hood, looking furious and roughed up. "Here's 'Jin'. Known Equalist chi-blocker, captured by Avatar Korra, Asami Sato, my brother Bolin, and myself during an attempted rescue of imprisoned Equalist sympathizers which then-Councilman Tarrlok's task force failed to stop. She was released when the Equalists temporarily took control of Republic City, but escaped capture when the United Forces took it back. Whereabouts have been unknown for over three years."

"Charming woman. And the other one?"

He took out another photo, not taken by police, but a newspaper in one of the northwestern Earth Kingdom states announce new trade laws. It showed a man about the same age as Jin, short beard, shorter hair than most Water Tribe men usually wore, smiling cheerfully on the deck of a ship. "And then there's 'Aelik'. A small time trader from the Northern Water Tribe, known to have operated in the northern Earth Kingdom. Mostly legitimate, but plenty of accusations were made of him smuggling illegal or hard-to-find items to and from the north during Chief Unalaq's rule. He's a known waterbender, but no instances of his unusual bending abilities were ever recorded. He vanished over a year ago, and was presumed dead."

"Any idea what happened to him?" inquired the chief.

"Well, in that time, Kuvira had taken control of the states he was most active in. Maybe he did something she didn't approve of. Or this is simply when the Red Lotus recruited him, and he went into hiding in accordance with their plan."

"Hrmph. Put out a report stating they're still alive, and contact the Northern Water Tribe to see if they can provide any more information on Aelik."

 

* * *

 

Zaheer appeared in Xai Bau's grove to find an extremely bored Aelik waiting for him.

"Finally. I'm afraid I don't exactly have good news for you-"

"I'm well aware of what happened today. I had to ensure the Avatar won't be interfering in the next stages."

Aelik perked up. "Really? You saw her? How is she?"

The question surprised Zaheer. "She looked as well as ever..."

"I'm glad. Though I admit I'd hoped I'd at get at least one good hit in," he said, nursing the uninjured shoulder of his projected spirit as if it was the real deal.

The other was less than amused. "Our efforts to eliminate unjust governments are not an opportunity for you to show off. Especially after failing your mission."

"Hey, I went one-on-one with the Avatar while she was in all-out glowing eyes mode and managed get away. That's all the bragging rights I need," he said, shifting from cockiness to a defiant grin, "and if we're on the subject of 'failure', as I recall, it's more than _you_ were able to manage."

Closing his eyes a moment, Zaheer overlooked the disrespect, approaching the new situation with the serenity he would expect from an airbending master.

"What about your Equalist friend?"

"Jin did her job perfectly. As always. And what about our other ally? She hasn't exactly been helpful lately."

"We'll deal with her soon. For now, in spite of the setback, proceed as planned." 

"Gotcha. Anything else?"

"Do not overlook the obstacles facing us. We need to eliminate the Avatar, and should do it sooner rather than later." 

"Not happening," Aelik said adamantly.

"It's your duty. You knew what you were in for when you joined us."

"And we've been through this before. _No._ I joined this organization because you said you were trying to get justice and bring down oppressive regimes like the Earth Empire. Murdering a well-intentioned young woman isn't my idea of progress towards a better world."

"True freedom cannot come into being as long as the Avatar exists to protect the established order."

"Well, we'll just have to settle then, won't we? I'm not killing her. Even if I could, which...I can't, she kicked my ass. Rather poor steambending technique, but still." he mused to himself. 

Zaheer took a deep breath, resolving to pick this up later.

Enter the void.

It wasn't essential to resolve this right away.

"You'll have a few days of a world without the Avatar. Make it count."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mention of Amon is a bit of self-indulgence as he's my favorite villain, and reinforcing the idea that Korra wasn't afraid of Zaheer, she was afraid of failing as the Avatar. Her trauma had been building for a while before being poisoned.
> 
> So, we've learned a little more about the villains, especially Jin, who was, in fact, the female chi-blocker Asami electrocuted in "When Extremes Meet".
> 
> Fun writing fact: some of the ideas and characters in this story were salvaged from a particularly bad fic I tried writing while Book 2 was airing, Aelik among them, then simply a roguish smuggler type from the Northern Water Tribe. Since I decided to bring him in as an antagonist, that became his backstory in this work. META.
> 
> I was originally going to have Mako accompany Korra and Bolin to the Spirit World, sort of a Fire Ferrets reunion thing, but decided Mako didn't have much reason to be there when he had cop stuff to do. And if I'm sidelining Asami on the basis of "Eboshi's really fucking dangerous", I can't really send him in after, injured or not, she already kicked his ass. Ergo Jinora.
> 
> Part of the reason this chapter took so long, aside from having other priorities, was figuring what all the characters were doing and why they would be there. Figuring out who would go with Korra into the Spirit World, what Asami would be doing outside of it, and the actions/motivations/plans of the Red Lotus all got a bit crazy. Writing is _complicated_ , did you know that?
> 
> On another note, Korra is wrong about exactly one thing in this chapter.


	12. Brought Down to Earth

"I gotta say, the Spirit World is a lot nicer than the last time I was here," noted Bolin as he looked around the valley the portal was situated within.

"That's probably because the world isn't ending," remarked Jinora, who freaked Korra and Bolin out slightly by suddenly speaking up. "Now, would you please explain what's going on exactly?"

"We're headed to Wan Shi Tong's library, Bolin can explain on the way," said Korra. "Can you get us there?"

Jinora placed one hand on each of her companions' shoulder, ready to function as their guide through the Spirit World.

"There's a dangerous metalbender working for aaaand we're here already," he said as he turned around and looked up at the ancient library, which they'd reached after a blur of moving through the Spirit World. The entire building was suspended upside down, at least from their point of view.

"Don't stop, Bolin, the story was getting good," said Jinora sarcastically as Korra knelt to the ground, sensing the energy around them.

There was definitely a human being in that library.

"So, what, if we go inside, are we walking upside down, what happens?" he asked, concerned by the bizarre physics of the Spirit World.

"Let's find out," said Korra as she grabbed the back of his jacket, propelling them both along an air current to the roof of the library, discovering that gravity reoriented itself the the preferred direction once they neared it.

As Korra and Bolin observed the change in perspective, Jinora's spirit materialized next to them.

"I never thought I'd be back at this place." 

"I thought you loved reading," said Bolin.

"It's not the books, it's the librarian."

"Wan Shi Tong, right?" asked Korra.

"I'm sure we can find our way around with---INCOMING!"

_Speak of the face-stealer, and he shall appear._

All three of them covered their faces to shield them from the burst of wind and dust as Wan Shi Tong landed in front of them, bringing her wings back to his body, towering over the three humans.

"Get out," her said, with an eerie quietness. Korra took a few steps forward.

_Guess I'm up._

"Knowledge spirit, we wish-"

"Humans are not allowed in my library," he said dismissively, rising to his full height to look down on the group. "Even if they've brought knowledge to add to it." 

Korra bowed respectfully, trying to placate the owl. "I know of your low opinion of humans, and of the Avatar, but I'm not here to threaten you or abuse the knowledge in this library."

Bolin cowered a bit in face of the spirit's hostility, still holding up the book. "Well, we don't actually want to check anything out, we're only here for your other, uh, patron, I guess. You can keep the book anyway."

The owl leaned over Bolin, somewhat pacified, and accepted the text. "Very well. Thank you for...'The Rules of Pro-Bending'?" 

"Yeah. I figured you might not have read that one."

Jinora was getting a bit impatient. "Eboshi's human, why have you let her in? Is she a 'friend of the spirits'?"

The enormous owl shifted his bizarrely flexible body around to bring an enormous, black eye right up to Jinora's face. "Despite her glaring defects, her integrity has been vouched for by another, and she was accepted."

"What? Who?" asked Korra.

The owl didn't respond, and Korra decided not to pry.

_I'm sure we'll find out eventually._

"Fine, don't tell me. But we're here for a person, not your knowledge. Will you allow us to look around?"

The giant owl's head cocked slightly, 

"I will allow you search. Do not remove or touch any of my texts, you will not be leaving with them. Attempt to take any knowledge for your human conflicts, and you will not leave at all."

With that final warning, Wan Shi Tong flew into an unlit region of the library, leaving the humans to search through the endless rows of bookshelves.

"We never asked where Eboshi was, did we?" asked Bolin as he watched the knowledge spirit disappear into the darkness.

"While we look around, maybe now you can tell me what's going on," said Jinora, curious if a bit annoyed at being left out of the loop.

"Alright, alright," began Bolin. "Last week, Mako was walking home from work..."

As the others talked, Korra glanced around the library. It had been over a hundred and seventy years since Aang had been here, and angered Wan Shi Tong, albeit with a good reason. Now was her opportunity to repair the Avatar's relationship with the knowledge spirit.

Then again, the inability of someone as kindhearted as Aang to stay on good terms with the owl might be an indication it wasn't worth the effort.

The three of them spent the next two hours wandering around the immense library, remaining on high alert the first twenty minutes, but unable to keep the adrenaline flowing as they hunted through the shelves. Eventually they reached what appeared to be the center of the structure, working their across bridges looming over the expanse of the building.

"Please tell me they got rid of it, please tell me they got rid of it, please tell me they got rid of it, oh, _oh that is so disgusting,_ " said Jinora. Korra and Bolin immediately understood when she looked in the same direction as Jinora and saw the dried corpse of Professor Zei.

Jinora and Bolin got into a discussion about how unsanitary it was to leave a mummified corpse lying around in a library, Korra walked across the bridge, staring down into the depths of the library.

It seemed bottomless, though she knew it wasn't the case after walking up a few hundred steps to get to this point.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her target, walking past the rows of bookshelves.

For someone layered in as much armor as she was, Eboshi's footsteps were oddly quiet, no louder than someone in regular clothes and shoes.

Korra took a good look at the approaching metalbender. The armor looked tough, lots of overlapping lamellar plates over thicker, rigid pieces protecting her arms, legs and torso. Either everyone else who'd seen her hadn't looked closely at those prosthetic arms, or Eboshi had additional plating on them which was removed after abandoning the pretense, her wrists and elbows now showing exposed, obviously mechanical joints.

She was heavy, she was durable, she was intimidating, she...didn't appear to be paying attention to Korra, or the conversation around her, only reading a book as she walked.

_Is she deaf?_

Korra immediately put the theory to the test. "HEY! EBOSHI!"

The new arrival jerked to a halt, snapped her book shut and turned to face the group, the slow movements conveying more annoyance than shock at their presence. She took several steps closer, the soft sound of her footsteps echoing through the silence of the library, and stopped a little too close for comfort.

Thankfully, she didn't seem eager for a fight, standing completely still while facing the trio.

Nervously tapping the edges of his fingers together, Bolin waved meekly to the metalbender. "Heeeyyy Eboshi."

"Hello Bolin."

That nervousness disappeared instantly as Bolin appeared absolutely delighted at getting the metalbender to talk to him. He thought for a second, trying to come up with more things to say. "How are you?" he asked, falling back on basic politeness.

"I'm fine," she replied. "How...are you?"

"I'm great, just great. A little sore. You slammed me into concrete pavement. But I'm good! And so's Opal."

It took her a few seconds to reply. "Sorry about that. You launched a wave of lava at me," she said.

"I remember. Rough night for everybody. Do you remember my brother Mako? You left him lying unconscious in the street," he said, not eliciting much of a reaction from the metalbender. 

"He threw fireballs at me."

"Yep, he does that a lot. Don't you think you were overdoing it to attack a guy with a broken arm?" he asked, his voice containing the first hint of disapproval he'd expressed despite speaking with a dangerous criminal.

Eboshi tilted her head back and forth slightly.

"Uh, you okay?" asked Bolin.

"I'm trying to recall something I was told. I don't completely understand the meaning, but it seems appropriate...I remember," she said, raising and displaying her prosthetics. "Cry me a fucking river."

To Korra's ears, Eboshi's voice was a weird mix of unsettling and soothing, keeping a completely calm, even tone, to an almost unnatural degree, while being slightly distorted through that helmet of hers.

Despite the rudeness, Korra tried to think of something constructive to do, because honestly, this was going a LOT better than she would've guessed.

She'd been expecting Eboshi to either attack them immediately, or listen for a moment and  _then_ attack. Assuming they even found her at all. That's how things usually worked out when she dealt with bad guys. 'Awkward small talk' wasn't what she'd been mentally preparing herself for.

"Oh, let me introduce you to Jinora," said Bolin, waving in the direction of their companion. 

"Hello," said Jinora slightly put off at first, but clearly thinking about her next move. To Bolin's surprise, she extended her hand to the metalbender. "Pleased to meet you."

The move came as a bit of a shock to Korra, but she soon realized the logic behind it. Jinora was only a spirit here, something Eboshi couldn't know, and conventional physical attacks wouldn't be able to hurt her. And if intentions were violent, this would be the best opportunity to show it.

Jinora stood a bit tense as the metalbender raised a hand to grasp hers, the fact that she wasn't in any true danger doing little to relieve the instinctive fear of getting in close to someone decked out in enough armor to make a Varri-mech worried.

Eboshi got a firm grip on Jinora's hand, shaking it lightly.

And then, she let go.

While the others kept the metalbender distracted, Korra concentrated on the suit, trying to feel the earthen materials within it. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. If she could take control of the suit, immobilize her, they could completely avoid a fight.

Korra could feel the armor, get a understand of its shape. 

Something about the metal was off, somehow. She could feel earthen material within it, in abundance, actually, much more than the normal impurities metalbenders relied on. And it was unlike any metal she'd tried to bend before.

Even so, it could be bent, she was sure of it.

The conversation around her was silenced abruptly, and when Korra opened her eyes to see what was going on, Eboshi was staring straight at her.

**"Do. Not. Try it."**

Surprised by the response, Korra gave up on trying to take the metalbender by surprise.

_Might as well try to talk to her. It's working for Bolin._

"Hi, I'm the Avatar, nice to...meet you..." she said awkwardly, feeling put on the spot as Bolin and Jinora stepped aside to let her work.

Eboshi said nothing.

"Master of the four elements..."

Eboshi  _still_ said nothing.

_Get to the point._

"Listen, I don't want to fight you, but you've been helping the Red Lotus, attacking my friends, and generally wreaking havoc, and it's going to _stop_. _Now_.Do you wanna, I don't know, take off that helmet, have a talk about this-" At the mention of her helmet, Eboshi's head jerked to the side, then back to its normal position, moving so fast Korra wouldn't have even been sure it had happened if Jinora and Bolin hadn't also jumped back reflexively. "-ooookay, keep the helmet on..."

Apparently unaffected besides that little display, Eboshi tried conversing a bit more. "I don't care what your complaints are. What happened during the attack?"

 _Don't get mad, don't get mad, this is going pretty smoothly, don't mess it up._  

"We saved the President Raiko's life. Thanks for the heads up," said Korra, trying to keep the situation stable.

"Unimportant. What of the Red Lotus members? Did you defeat them?"

"I was able to force them to retreat, but the steambender and his squad escaped."

"...Disappointing," said Eboshi. With that, she reopened her book and went back to walking the same way she'd been before stopping.

"Hey! You don't get to just walk away! We're going to take you back to Republic City to tell us everything you know about the Red Lotus." 

"No, you won't," said the metalbender without turning around. 

Before Korra could say anything to get her attention, she sensed a surge of energy behind them, turning to see three people, dressed similarly to the Red Lotus sentries who'd helped Zaheer, appear behind them.

_Where did these guys come from?_

She glanced back at the metalbender, expecting her to attack. Eboshi had turned around, apparently aware of the new arrivals just as Korra was. Rather than attack, she tilted her head slightly, sizing up the situation.

With one twist of her foot, she'd opened a hole in the stone floor and dropped out of sight.

"I'm going after her," said Korra as she ripped open her own hole. "Can you handle these guys on your own?"

"Oh, we'll come up with something," said Bolin, smiling but audibly uncertain. "Leave it to us."

 

* * *

 

Now that the two weeks she'd originally set aside for the Spirit World vacation finally used up, Asami was back to work, looking over the sketches of the new armor she'd been designing. Armor with interconnected plates to let electrical attacks flow through it, the conducting materials providing a path to the ground without harming the wearer, applicable for both law enforcement and military personnel.

It was with a bit of reluctance that she mentally acknowledged their metalbending 'ally' was the inspiration behind the development.

_She clearly knows her stuff when it came to personal protection. Probably some basic electrical engineering knowledge, too..._

It was only a personal project, for now. Asami wasn't even sure if she would ever produce it. She had a bad feeling that if she standardized this kind of thing, in her line of adventuring, she'd wind up facing someone in a suit like it with nothing but her electric glove.

An image flashed of the metalbender crushing her gauntlet, right across from where she was sitting. It'd taken forever to get all the bits of metal out of the carpet. 

_No 'bad feeling' about it, it already happened._

_Plus, I shouldn't waste a potential product. And it would also make the lightning cannons on the EE mechs useless._

She kept sketching out different ideas for half an hour before setting the notepad aside.

This distraction wasn't doing enough to keep her mind free of worry.

Korra was in the Spirit World somewhere, hunting down a Red Lotus member, and Asami had been left behind because she had to face the fact that she couldn't do a damn thing to help. Not on this one. 

 _I wish I could at least check up on her,_ she thought leaning far back in her chair, staring at her ceiling as she realized what was directly above her.

_Maybe I can._

Asami went up to her penthouse, arranging things to be as conducive to meditation as she possibly could. Removed sources of noise, only allowed in light from the portal, ( _That's spiritual, right?_ ) drank a considerable amount of tea in an attempt to calm the mind.

The results were questionable. Every five minutes, her thoughts drifted back to thinking about design improvements for the infrastructure she was probably going to be repairing after that terrorist attack, kissing Korra, something she's read in the news about developments in the Earth Federation, kissing Korra again, a pulp novel she'd been reading, and every time she had to shut everything out and try to recollect what Korra had shown her last time.

Feeling in touch with the world around her. Not 'nature' exactly, but the universe, the flow of energy, the effects of physics.  _That_ Asami could get behind. 

One hour of sitting around later, eyes shut, trying to blot out the world, Asami felt something brush against her nose. She opened her eyes to find some bizarre creature, like a glowing green cat with wings, leisurely floating past her.

 _Wow. I did it._  

"Welcome to the Spirit World, Miss Sato," came a smarmy-souding voice from behind her.

Zaheer.

_Shit._

Asami raised her fists, ready to take the airbender on, pausing to glance at her own hands, feeling somewhat confused by the new situation.

_How do martial arts work in the Spirit World? We're both spirits, I can hit him, right? Would that even do anything? Can we be injured?_

Zaheer, however, didn't seem interested in a fight, calmly sitting beneath his tree at the edge of the grove. It's not like it would accomplish anything in this situation.

"I don't have time for this," she said, walking out of the grove she'd found herself in, trying to get her bearings. She needed to get to the spirit library. Not that she'd developed much of a sense of direction in this place. Assuming everything was even the way she and Korra had left it. Who knows how the geography of this place changed over time?

"I'm amazed enough you were even able to enter the Spirit World, but I doubt you'll be able to navigate it on your own," said Zaheer, giving Asami pause.

_So, you want to play this game, huh?_

Asami felt the urge to simply provide some retort about how underestimating her and Korra is the reason his body was stuck beneath a mountain, and then move on to search for Korra and the others. But she wouldn't let herself.

She clenched her fists, tensed her back, feigning anger and frustration.

_Go along with it. Let him think he's in control._

"It wasn't that hard. Everyone talks about entering the Spirit World as being determined by 'spirituality', but really, it's just a particular psychological state you need to reach."

"Your attempt to decipher things this way only shows how little you understand of this world. I'm surprised you can enter at all," he said, "Has Korra helped you?"

"If entering the Spirit World depends partly on the state of your body, I wonder, what would it take to sever that connection completely? The locations of different chakras are known; could they be removed surgically?"

_I'm taking this too far._

"The air chakra is located at the back of the neck, right? A good surgeon could cut it right out without killing you."

Zaheer stared at her, puzzling over what she was saying.

 _No._   _No, it's Zaheer, for him, nothing is too horrible to consider._

_I am going to knock you down._

"I would fin a way to endure," he said.

"I'm sure no matter what happens to you, you'll face it with dignity. Do you know how many people died because of you, Zaheer?"

"Kuvira's rise and the death she brought would never had occurred if we'd succeeded," he explained calmly. "If my friends were still alive, the plan would have continued and we'd have brought freedom to the entire world."

"No, no, no, I'm not talking about the Earth Empire. You don't get to deflect the blame that easily. I'm talking about _before_  you led your friends to their deaths." She saw his face twitch, just a little bit. "Do you know how many people died in Ba Sing Se? Burning along with the city after you 'liberated' it?"

Zaheer was silent.

"Of course you wouldn't remember all the little people, considering even concern for your team couldn't weigh you down. You probably didn't care about them at all."  _Don't let up._ "Mako and Bolin told me all about the fight that killed, what's-his-name, the lavabender-"

"Ghazan," he finished, his creepy, calm expression slowly transforming into a glare.

_Make him remember them._

"Right, him. How he brought that cave down around himself rather than be recaptured. He endured that because of you. He never broke, _for you._ That watebender did the same. And I know that combustion-bender was your girlfriend, right? And you started flying _seconds_ after watching her die. No wonder you were able to help Korra get over her fears when you can recover from grief that quickly. You're an expert."

"They knew what the dangers were."

"Yes, they did. They sacrificed themselves for your cause. And you've completely forgotten them. And three years later, it was all for nothing."

"I loved her. But I had to let her go."

"Are you sure? I don't think love is something people can claim expertise in, but I do know it's not normally something you get over in the span of seconds."

Zaheer was practically spasming.

Then, he vanished.

A moment laters Asami opened her eyes, relieved to be back in her penthouse. She leaned back, and tried to process what she'd just done.

 

* * *

 

Miles away, Zaheer awoke from the Spirit World, and found himself resting on the ground.

 

* * *

 

Bolin tore several chunks of stone out of the floor, lining them up with his target, then launched them all with one thrust. 

Right before the stones made contact, the enemy vanished, then reappeared closer to Bolin, leaving the stones to fly over a railing and onto a bookshelf, collapsing it into a heap.

"Uh, how can they teleport?"

"They're spirits!" shouted Jinora. "Their bodies are in the physical world." 

_They can't do much damage when they're only spirits, not enough to take Korra in a direct fight. What's their plan?_

Unable to call upon any bending skills hey may possess in the physical world, the Red Lotus agents were favoring creative use of the environment when attacking Bolin and Jinora.

Namely, knocking over bookshelves with brute force in an attempt to crush the pair.

Using the environment like this kept Jinora and Bolin on the defensive, running between shelves to avoid the flurries of broken wood and scattering papers until they were in the clear.

Earthbending the rubble back at the enemy proved ineffective. Bolin's aim was dead-on, the targets disappearing before contact, then reappearing a few second later. 

"Uh, any ideas?" asked Bolin as he launched the next useless volley to keep their opponents at bay. "I'd rather not risk burning this place down with lava, but there's not much else I can do here."

As she studied the situation, Jinora got an idea. "Target the one on the left," she said, then disappeared, trying to copy the Red Lotus' method.

Jinora's improvised tactic seemed to be working as she vanished in and out of the Spirit World at different points, providing a distraction as she got a complete view of the situation, then materialized next to one of the attackers and kicked him in the head, knocking him over the railing and into a barrage of bricks Bolin had torn from the walls, falling down into the darkened depths of the structure. He didn't reappeared.

Before she could repeat the tactic, a colossal impact shook the floor. Jinora's first though was that the attackers had demolished more of the library. Then she realized what had just landed in their midst.

Bolin slowly turned, looking up at what he figured was Wan Shi Tong, his elongated, serpentine body shaking with rage.

"WHAT. HAVE. YOU. DONE!"

"It's not our fault! They're not with us! They're Red Lotus members!" explained Jinora, desperately trying to avoid needing to fight the Red Lotus _and_ a spirit of Wan Shi Tong's power.

Remaining aware of the situation, she noticed the knowledge spirit turning his attention to one of the enemy intruders hiding behind a shelf, poised to attack. "Wait! If we can capture them, maybe we can learn-"

Wan Shi Tong's head darted down onto the Red Lotus member, gripping her in his beak and throwing his head back, sending her down his throat, screaming in terror as she went. The lone remaining agent froze in his tracks, then faded away, returning to his body. 

With the three assailants removed, the owl's attention was now focused solely on Jinora and Bolin, who were backing away from the enraged spirit.

"YOU WERE DESTROYING MY LIBRARY!"

"It's not what it looks like! It wasn't us, it was aauughh!" cried Bolin as he dived out of the path of the owl's beak.

"Bolin, we need to get out of here!" shouted Jinora. 

 _Well,_ you  _need to get out of here, I can leave whenever I want._

"Right. Where's Korra?"

"I'm not sure. Run!" she shouted as the two sprinted through the library, the draconic owl close behind them.

 

* * *

 

Korra tried to feel where she was, to reach out, but couldn't sense anything. Well, she could 'sense' things, primarily the sounds of crashing and screeching coming from the level above her. There was barely any light in this area of the library, leaving her to stumble around in the dark/

_I'm not leaving here empty-handed._

"Eboshi! I know you're in here! "

_Alright, think. If I bend a flame for light, I signal where I am. If I stay in the dark, I'll never figure out where she is at this rate._

A second later, a ball of fire was in her palm, shining light across the shelves of texts.

"I know you're not much of a talker, so I'm going to keep going. Stop me if you feel like speaking up."

She walked over to a small stack of books, looking down to read their titles. 

_Meditation, chakras, cosmology. What is she up to?_

"Asami told me all about your conversation. Everything you warned her about was true, and you helped us protect the United Republic. Thanks for that. But why? What do you want?"

She heard footsteps, seemingly coming from all around her.

_How do I get through to her?_

_Well, if it worked with Kuvira..._

"Your arms...I could be wrong, but I get the feeling they were amputated. It hurts, doesn't it? Knowing you were wounded, worrying you can never completely recover. I know what it's like."

The footsteps stopped.

"Eboshi, I understand. You've been put through a lot. But you need help. I _want_ to help you."

Korra walked back around, and saw the stack of texts was gone. At the end of the row, the wall of the library was torn apart, opening a hole to the ouside, and the metalbender stood ready to escape, holding a crate full of texts.

"No, Korra. You don't understand at all."

She jumped, diving into the abyss.

 

* * *

 

Asami walked through the Spirit Wilds, mulling over whether or not she should try to get into the Spirit World again. On the one hand, she still hadn't made any progress in figuring out what Korra was up to, or if she needed help. On the other, Zaheer had a point about how much use she would be even if she could get back in her present state of mind.

"Trying to clear your head? You came to the worst possible place," came an eerily familiar voice.

Asami turned around, and saw Eboshi walking towards her.

_This isn't possible._

"Surprised to see me?"

"Very, seeing as you're in another reality at the moment."

Manic laughter came from the hulking suit of armor. Manic, echoing, and very obviously not human. Asami paced around, noting how the other's gaze followed her intently.

_That's not her. That's not her behavior._

"Zaheer tricked you all. Korra's on her way into a trap right now. And this time, we're going to finish what we started."

 _No...no that can't be true. One of Mako's coworkers reported that Eboshi had entered the portal._  

"Li?" the phantom said, reading her thoughts. "She's another Red Lotus member. We're _everywhere_ , y'know. C'mon, you've though about all this before. About Suyin's relation to Aiwei, and her conspicuously poor strategy ending with Korra getting captured. Korra's cousins, and how much they might know about their late father's connections. Even doubts about the White Lotus as a whole crossed your mind, always guarding, watching, but no one really paying attention to _them_. And always failing to stop threats to Korra. Almost as if they were holding back. How many people do you really think you can trust?"

_It's the vines. They're making me hallucinate._

Asami had had enough before the little speech was finished, and threw up her hands in resignation. "Well, I'm leaving." She turned around, but the second she took her eyes away from her hallucination, it was right in front of her.

"No, you're not." It punched Asami in the stomach, and as she keeled over in pain, lifted her up by the back of her coat and threw her onto a pile of vines.

"This isn't possible. You're not real."

It shrugged nonchalantly. "Okay, you got me, I'm not really here. _And yet..._ " Another punch send Asami sliding across the pavement.

"You're awfully direct for a hallucination."

"Well, I did come straight outta your head. Now, think this through rationally. Use all that brainpower you're so famous for. I'm Eboshi. I'm right here, and if you stop me I won't be able to hurt Korra. It's established she can beat that steambender and his crew, Zaheer is still contained and rather pathetic, Kuvira's sitting in a cell in Zaofu while everyone debates exactly what to do with her. I'm the only serious, wild-card threat to Korra you need to take into account right now. What're you gonna do, genius?"

Asami struggled to breath with the pain in her stomach, holding up an arm out to the phantom, signaling the apparition to stop. Surprisingly, it obliged. "I think I see where you're going with this. If you're trying to teach me some kind of lesson about my issues with protecting Korra, save it. We've talked things out, I have things under control, I don't need...whatever kind of messed up counseling session this is supposed to be."

"First off, no, you're not in control, and _that's_ why I'm here. Trust me, if I didn't have to hang out here talking with you, I wouldn't, but you have some _serious_ issues with loss. And a hint of paranoia. I could be hanging out in your brain, checking out your weird gadgets, but instead I'm stuck talking to you. I know you can't tell, but I'm rolling my eyes."

Instead of shooting back a retort, Asami could only think of questions. "Hold on. Do you even have any eyes?"

The apparition leaned back, thinking, hands probing at its head. "I don't think so. Probably not, seeing as you have no idea what the real Eboshi looks like under this helmet. And even if I did, I'm not sure how to get this thing off."

"Well then, why not look like someone else?"

"Oh?" it said, its body turning to a shadowy mass, gaining bulk, and reforming into Zaheer, whose face was irritatingly fresh in Asami's mind, voice changing to match the new face. "And who, exactly would you prefer?" it said with appropriate smugness.

"Ugh, actually, go back to the way you looked before."

"Thaaaat's what I thought," said the vision, as its body began to compress back to its lithe, armored shape.

 _Wait, dammit, I should've let her stay as Zaheer. Hallucination or not, he's got exposed flesh and would be easier to fight._  

"Too late! No take-backs!" shouted the reformed 'Eboshi', who charged at Asami, fists raised as its target bolted down an alleyway. "Not what I'd do, but I think we can work with this," it remarked as it sprinted after Asami.

Asami kept her distance, figuring that fighting close-quarters was nothing short of suicidal against an opponent like that. It's take more force that her body could exert to break that armor. And that was on the shaky assumption it was possible to hurt whatever it was she was really fighting.

_Maybe I can take her out if, no wait don't think about it don'tthinkaboutitdon'tthinkaboutitdon'tthinkaboutit._

Various equations and blueprints ran through Asami's head as she tried to keep the spirits or whatever was doing this out of her thoughts while she acted out her plan, relying more on instinct and images than coherent thought.

"Ooh, you're clever. All those smarts  _and_  you're gorgeous. I can see why Korra likes you so much. What _are_ you up to?"

The false Eboshi slowed down, hanging back and letting Asami get far enough away to get to work, leading her into an alley overgrown with vines, massive ones growing through the walls of what were once apartments.

She found a twisted, sharp piece of metal partly torn off of a broken fire escape railing, the link to the ladder rusted enough for her to tear the crude instrument off.

Hefting it a moment to get a feel for the grip, Asami watched her opponent slowly get closer, then started stabbing the largest vines. The thrashing of one of them struck Asami and sent her sliding across the pavement as the movement of the enraged faux-plants tore apart the walls, sending several tons of brick and mortar onto the enemy.

Asami got to her feet, dusting herself off but not feeling to much worse for wear, studying the pile of rubble.

_This place needs to be torn down. Somebody's going to get hurt in here when the buildings start collapsing on their own._

Her eyes darted back to the debris when she heard the sound of stones scraping against each other. 

"That 'somebody' is going to be you if you can't come up with a better plan than _this,_ " came a muffled but distinct voice, followed by the broken chunks of earth being lifted away to reveal Eboshi, completely intact.

_Why didn't that work?_

"Don't look at me. It's _your_ waking nightmare." The rubble was casually thrown back across the alley. "I see this really is the best you can do," said the phantasm as it walked towards Asami, who turned to run only to be boxed in by a wall of newly-grown vines.

"You're kidding yourself. You can't protect her. She's the strongest person on the planet, if something comes along than can destroy her, what could you possibly do? Nothing. Just like before."

Being completely out of options, Asami attacked with her crude weapon, her target proving completely unresponsive to the strikes.

"You're not strong enough to fight me-" Asami kept beating the helmet, but couldn't make the apparition so much as flinch. "-and you're going to have to accept that."

A downward chop to Asami's shoulder had her on the ground.

"There's nothing you can do-"

A cold, metal hand gripped Asami's collar and belt.

"-except trust her to come back safe-" 

She was raised overhead. 

"-because if you underestimate what you'll be facing with her, if you throw yourself into harms way trying to save her, if you doubt she's strong enough-"

And then brought down.

"-you're the one who'll end up in a wheelchair next time."

Asami felt her spine snap as it impacted the steel kneecap, and she lay in the abandoned street, unable to stand, losing consciousness a moment later.

 

* * *

 

Eboshi mulled over whether or not she should have sawed Korra's head off when her back was turned and her flame made her a massive target. It was the best opportunity. 

She's the Avatar, after all. It's not overkill, it's the exact right amount of kill.

Eventually, she reasoned her decision to retreat had been the correct one. Regardless of the apparent advantage and element of surprise, attempting to fight Korra was a risky proposition.

Besides, Korra seemed nice. Preachy, and rather foolish to have confronted her in a situation like this, but there was no sense making an enemy of someone who didn't mean you any harm.

It was disappointing that Korra's allies weren't of the same policy. Not that it mattered. None of them were a serious threat.

Evasion would suffice as a primary strategy. Fighting Korra's allies more often would only increase the likelihood of making Eboshi a primary target. Another offering of vital information would diminish the view of her as a major threat compared to the Red Lotus. Problem solved.

The metalbender warped the armor on her back to accommodate the box of texts she's taken, enveloping it with the metal, and shifted some of the plating to the front of her body to balance the new weight distribution. Everything she'd wanted, ready to go.

She dwelled on what Korra had told her.

That she understood her.

Why she wanted to help.

Eboshi felt furious, the force of her clenching fists applied through her bending becoming great enough to warp her hands from the stress.

Expecting her to resemble the hopelessly delusional opponents she was used to. Someone that was trying to do good, but couldn't see the damage they were causing. Unable to understand the reality of the situation, substituting their own myopic worldviews for the truth. 

It'd been a long time since anyone had insulted her like that.

Thoughts buzzed in her head. Which wasn't unusual in itself. Now, they all centered on how much Korra and her team knew about her.

Running through the possibilities, she quickly came up with an answer. 

Unfortunately, he'd have to wait until her business in the Spirit World was finished. To say nothing of how it complicated the situation...

Rumbling from the library was still audible, even from this distance. The screeching of the owl as he attack the other patrons.

Eboshi looked backed, briefly wondering if they were okay, then turned away and kept moving to her next destination, bending her deformed hands back into shape as she walked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while. Been working on my Star Wars fic, and frankly, it's a lot easier to get chapters written for that project.
> 
> Don't fuck with Asami. Unless you're Korra, in which, case, by all means. And I'll take any opportunity to knock Zaheer down a few pegs. It isn't permanent, though, he'll be back in the air moments later, but Asami was able to bust through the pretentious philosophizing for a moment.
> 
> Fun writing fact: Phantom!Eboshi is essentially my original idea for the character: sarcastic, casual, mocking, able to get into your head while reveling in her apparent invincibility, and hits on Asami while literally hitting her. Basically the opposite of what she is now. I'm happy with the intimidating presence she has, but damn, she was so much fun to write for early on. The scene in the wilds was a breeze. Another reason I'm glad I included Jin to fill that niche.
> 
> And yeah, Eboshi's a little...sensitive...when it comes to her armor. There's a very good reason for this, and it almost definitely isn't whatever you're thinking. Felt like drawing her, especially since a) I like drawing armor, b) I don't need to give her a face, which would be stretching my limited art skills, and c) I had plenty of time to do it while avoiding, y'know, writing this. I plan to draw my other OCs later on, but she's the easiest for me at the moment. Her armor should actually be a bit darker, but for some reason the image was lightened when put into the text. It's not a huge deal, but the coloration is relevant. The design was initially made to look like a more compact, utilitarian version of samurai armor, but as I worked on it I started taking inspiration heavily from [Lord Starkiller](https://67.media.tumblr.com/9c95804f59429538b36cde44f74b2bf7/tumblr_o7frr1c63k1spb4mko1_1280.jpg) of The Force Unleashed.


End file.
